Lack of facilities and money are the main barriers towards teenagers getting involved in recreational activities, according to research commissioned by the Government.
The survey of almost 1,000 people aged mostly between 12 and 18 years of age was conducted for the Office of the Minister for Children, which is developing a new recreation policy for young people.
The results, due to be published today, show almost a quarter of respondents identified lack of facilities as the biggest barrier towards participation (24 per cent), followed by the cost of joining in activities (23 per cent) and access to transport (16 per cent).
Lack of interest or laziness accounted for just 4 per cent of young people not getting involved in recreation.
When it came to the issue of the type of recreational facility, the most requested setting was a place to hang out with friends that was safe, indoors and affordable, and where they had a sense of ownership.
Many young people reported hanging out in parks or on the street and getting involved in anti-social behaviour.
As one young person interviewed as part of the survey said: "We need somewhere to go and hang out on the weekends and week nights because we have nowhere to go and we only end up getting into trouble for causing harm."
Another commented: "Even if they opened the parish halls and put in a few couches, we could hang out there."
The results of the survey will feed into a policy on recreation for teenagers due to be launched by Minister for Children Brian Lenihan towards the end of this year.
The issue is also due to be a key topic of debate at the annual Dáil na nÓg meeting at Croke Park next Saturday, which more than 200 young people will take part in.
Youth clubs were cited most frequently as examples of projects that worked well because they were fun, well-structured and a good place to meet friends and socialise.
Other successful examples included GAA clubs, sports activities, drama and music clubs, scouts or girl guides, voluntary work and youth cafes.
The main reason for their success, according to respondents, was the level of consultation such groups had with young people.
A further analysis of the barriers to participation highlighted that young people in rural areas had a much narrower range of facilities and activities in their area. For many, the GAA was the only available form of recreation in the neighbourhood.
As one young person said: "I live in the countryside and besides the GAA, recreational facilities are non-existent. As a result, I have to travel to the city all the time."
On the need for a more diverse range of recreational options, gender-specific recreation such as drama or dance was an issue for many girls, as was the demand for non-competitive sport.
Access to transport became a more significant barrier with age. One-fifth of boys and girls aged between 15 and 17 said it was an issue, compared to just over one-seventh of boys and girls aged between 12 and 14.
Time was cited as a barrier more frequently by girls than boys (8 per cent for girls, between 2 and 4 per cent for boys).
The main reasons for not having enough time were school, homework and study. Only a very small proportion said working in a part-time jobs was an issue.
People involved in organising recreation activities reported that the lack of volunteers, such as coaches and trainers, was becoming a major obstacle.
As one adult said: "Fewer people are available to do so [volunteer] over the last 10 years. Volunteers see this type of work as unrewarding and possibly another form of babysitting. They don't generally want to make a long-term commitment to a project."
