Written Answers - Dáil na nÓg.
David Stanton
Question:
385
Mr. Stanton
asked the
Minister for Health and Children
if he will report on the proceedings on the most recent Dáil na nÓg; the number of people who participated; the motions passed; the actions that the Government has taken or will take as a result; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
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Some 196 children and young people between the ages of seven and 17 from all parts of the country and a wide range of backgrounds took part in the day. The majority of the delegates were selected-elected by their peers through Comhairle na nÓg. Forty children and young people were invited to Dáil na nÓg through organisations catering for children with special needs, children in care, children with disabilities, children from inner city areas and children from the Gaeltacht, as well as other groups, to ensure that the process is representative.
A report of the proceedings at Dáil na nÓg 2002 was produced by the National Children's Office and sent to each delegate who participated on the day. This report was presented to the Cabinet committee on children, which is chaired by the Taoiseach, at its meeting on the 12 December 2002. The report was also distributed among relevant bodies in the statutory, non-statutory and voluntary sectors. The feedback received from these sectors will be communicated to the delegates.
Results of the vote on Motion 1, The Environment:
People would litter less if there were more litterbins and they were emptied more often, Yes: 127, No: 43;
Now that plastic bags have a charge, people should pay for all plastic packaging, Yes: 80, No: 90;
There should be an incinerator in every county in Ireland, Yes: 29, No: 144;
We should build apartment blocks instead of single houses with gardens, to save our green spaces, Yes: 37, No: 130;
Sellafield and all nuclear reprocessing stations should be closed down, Yes: 149, No: 20;
Results of the vote on Motion 2, Drug and Alcohol Abuse:
Advertising for alcohol should be banned, Yes: 58, No: 119;
The legal age for drinking should be lowered to 15 as all the kids that age are drinking anyway, Yes: 31, No: 147;
If people are caught drinking underage, their parents should be punished, Yes: 24, No: 153;
Adults have no right to give out to us about drugs, when a lot of them drink too much, Yes: 66, No: 120;
There should be drug and alcohol rehabilitation centres in every community, Yes: 137, No: 42.
