Get support through our online chat service

Get answers to your questions through our Youth Information Chat service. The chat puts you in contact with a Youth Information Officer who can give you the answers you need and point you in the right direction.

How does the chat work?

You can get in touch with a Youth Information Officer who can help you via our easy-to-use online chat service or via WhatsApp. Simply click the link below, fill out your information with your question, and start chatting.

When is the chat service available?

The chat service is available between 4pm and 8pm, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays). If you want to chat to a Youth Information Officer during that time, start a conversation now.

If you leave a message outside of these hours, we will get back to you by email as soon as we come back online.

Start a chat with us now or chat with us now via WhatsApp.

or if you don’t want to use the chat service, you can send us an email.

What we can help with

We can help you with any questions you have, including information around:

• Education
• Employment
• Your rights and entitlements
• Social protection benefits
• College grants
• Accommodation
• Anything else you need more information on

We can give you information, answer your questions, and provide you with a second opinion.

Start a chat with us now in your browser or chat with us now via WhatsApp.

The most important thing is your safety

If you tell us that you are under 18 and are being harmed, are at risk of being harmed, or have been harmed in the past while under 18, we must report this information to Tusla – the Child and Family Agency – and possibly the Gardaí. To make these reports, we need your full name, your age and the county you live in. If you choose not to share this information with us, we will be unable to make a report.

Who will you be talking to?

Our chat service is staffed by Youth Information Officers from centres across Ireland. Youth Information Officers are trained in providing information that is impartial, accurate, relevant to your question, in a non-judgemental and easy to understand way. The Youth Information Officers staffing the system are from YMCA Ireland, Crosscare and Youth Work Ireland.

Are you in a crisis?

This is not a service for people experiencing a mental health crisis, but if you need mental health support right now, free-text HELLO to 50808 to start an anonymous conversation with a trained volunteer – 24/7.