Transition year students from all around Ireland visited Leinster House to get insight into the work of Members and staff in the Houses of the Oireachtas.
The parliamentary education unit held the third of four transition year weeks from 3 March to 7 March, with 33 students participating from various schools from around the country representing a total of 12 counties and and 22 constituencies.
On their visit, students got an insight into life in Leinster House for a Member and for the staff working in the Civil Service. In particular, they explored as a team how to formulate a motion about shortening the school week and extending the school day, which they went on to present in the committee room environment.
During a lunch break at the coffee dock adjacent to the Leinster House committee rooms, TDs and Senators came to visit the students, exchange views and talk to them about their visit to Ireland's Parliament.
TDs in attendance were Natasha Newsome Drennan, Peter ‘Chap’ Cleere, Brendan Smith, Matt Carthy, Noel McCarthy, Pat Buckley, Thomas Gould, Pádraig Rice, Charles Ward, Pádraig MacLochlainn, Denise Mitchell, Naoise Ó Muirí, Eoin Hayes, Ivana Bacik, Marie Sherlock, Mark Ward, Paul McAuliffe, Rory Hearne, Jenn Cummins, Máire Devine, Ciarán Aherne, John Lahart, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, Barry Ward, Louis O’Hara, Erin McGreehan, Ged Nash, Ruairí Ó Murchú, Keira Keogh, Rose Conway Walsh, Johnny Guirke and Mary Butler.
Senators Eileen Flynn, Laura Harmon and Maria McCormack also came to meet the students and spent time chatting with them about their experience.
In total over the course of the visit, 35 Members from the students’ constituencies, including the new Ceann Comhairle, met the students and spoke about their experience after being elected to the Thirty-fourth Dáil.
The parliamentary education unit will welcome the final group later in March, which will complete its programme as Gaeilge.