17.—(1) The Minister shall, in accordance with section 18, appoint a committee to be known as the National Youth Work Advisory Committee to advise and consult with the Minister in relation to youth work.

(2) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1), the Advisory Committee shall advise the Minister in relation to—

(a) the provision and co-ordination of youth work programmes and youth work services,

(b) the provision and co-ordination of youth work programmes and youth work service in the Gaeltacht and/or to young persons whose first language is Irish,

(c) the development and implementation of youth work policies referred to in section 8(1)(a),

(d) the co-ordination of youth work programmes and youth work services with general educational services for young persons,

(e) the co-ordination of youth work programmes and youth work services with non-educational services for young persons,

(f) the treatment of male and female young persons, respectively, in relation to access to youth work, and in so advising shall, in respect of paragraphs (a), (c), (d) and (e), have regard to the number of male and female young persons, respectively, who are likely to participate in youth work programmes and youth work services referred to in those paragraphs,

(g) the content of such guidelines and regulations as may be issued or made by the Minister as referred to in section 9(1)(a)(ii),

(h) criteria which should normally be fulfilled before an organisation can be approved as an approved national voluntary youth work organisation,

(i) criteria which should normally be fulfilled before a voluntary youth work organisation is designated under section 29 as a designated local youth work organisation,

(j) the content of such guidelines and regulations as may be made by the Minister in relation to the Voluntary Youth Councils,

(k) the manner in which F13[education and training boards] apply the regulations, guidelines and criteria referred to in paragraphs (g), (i) and (j), and

(l) the manner in which the Minister applies the criteria referred to in paragraph (h).

(3) The Advisory Committee shall give such advice and make such recommendations to the Minister as the Minister may request and shall give priority to such requests when so requested by the Minister.