Plans to establish youth cafes in communities across the State form the centrepiece of a new Government strategy on recreation for teenagers due to be published next month.
Surveys show a lack of recreational facilities is one of the biggest issues affecting teenagers and may be linked to risk-taking behaviour such as binge drinking and drug-taking.
The Irish Timeshas learned that a national recreation policy finalised by Minister of State for Children Brian Lenihan and agreed by the Cabinet in late December will identify the creation of youth cafe-type facilities as a priority for the Government over the coming years.
A number of youth cafes have already been established, such as the Gaf cafe on Galway's Francis Street. It provides teenagers with a place to socialise, to get involved in activities such as DJ training and photography, and to access such services as sexual health programmes.
Discussions are still at an early stage over funding and what staff may operate the facilities, according to senior Government sources. Existing youth cafes tend to be staffed by employees of the Health Service Executive (HSE) or professional youth workers.
A survey of 1,000 teenagers commissioned by the Office of the Minister for Children last year found lack of facilities and money were the main barriers towards teenagers getting involved in recreational activities.
When it came to the issue of the type of recreational facility, the most requested setting was a place to socialise with friends that was safe, indoors and affordable, and where they had a sense of ownership.
John Fitzmaurice, a former teacher and manager of the Gaf, said such facilities were badly needed.
"Young people get a lot of bad press, but we need to be realistic and look at what we're providing them," said Mr Fitzmaurice. "If you provide a safe space where they want to hang out, you're taking away a lot of negative pressure to get involved in anti-social behaviour or drinking or whatever."
A number of studies show that rates of binge drinking in Ireland are the highest in Europe. An EU study last year showed that almost one-third of 15- to 16-year-old students had binged three or more times in the previous 30 days.
Research published yesterday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that binge drinking among teenagers is strongly linked to a range of risk-taking behaviour.
The survey of more than 15,000 high school students found binge drinkers were more than five times as likely as non-drinkers to be sexually active, more than 18 times as likely to smoke cigarettes, and more than four times as likely to have been in a fight.
Prof Joe Barry of Trinity College Dublin, a public-health specialist, said the Government needed to do more to address the issue, especially in the area of alcohol advertising targeted at young people. He said the Government should implement all the recommendations of the Department of Health's Strategic Task Force on Alcohol.
A spokeswoman for Mr Lenihan said officials were working with the HSE and the department's health promotion unit to address binge drinking.