Fáiltím roimh an toscaireacht. Bhí mé an-tógtha ar fad leis an chur i láthair, bhí sé an-phroifisiúnta agus an-stuama. Molaim go hard sibh. I welcome the delegation, with which I was exceptionally impressed. I do not say this in a patronising manner but for a number of other reasons. It has acted in an extremely democratic fashion by surveying the views of so many young people. As such, the presentation is much more than the views of only three or four people and Coiste na dTeachtaí is living up to one of its aims, which is to be a voice for themselves.
It is possible a consultant would not have been as successful in sourcing the type of information, including statistics, available in the presentation. I was also taken by the underlying responsibility evident in the work the group is doing. It is great to hear young people ask for more alcohol free facilities. We spend an unbelievable amount of time in the Seanad discussing the abuse of alcohol. We discuss the problem and reports about it and so on. I am not sure whether we are making progress but I am encouraged when I see young people giving leadership in this regard. If they require funding to support them, we should listen carefully as it might be a more worthwhile use of funds than the production of reports on which a great deal of money is spent.
It strikes me as a sign of the times to hear 16 year olds are too old for a disco. I made the same point. We might have been regarded as a deprived generation but I do not think we were. We had great opportunities to enjoy ourselves with ballroom dancing, showbands, céilí bands and so on. Halls were packed and people had five and six hours of entertainment at one time. We are of an age now when we can reminisce about it. In fairness to young people, if at a certain age they feel discos are no longer of interest and the pub is the only other choice, it is very hard to blame them if they become part of that pub culture.
A couple of things struck me. The mettle is available to deliver. Have young people ever considered doing these things themselves? Sometimes at local level one has to put one's head above the parapet and say one is going to do A, B or C. Generally, buildings and other infrastructure are available. What is lacking is the leadership to do something. I established a new club at the age of 16 and a half and enjoyed every minute of it. I must have been a right pain in the neck for a lot of adults at the time. Nevertheless, when young people do things, they lead other young people with them. Instead of starting on the basis that something extra is needed, why do young people not start something themselves?
Twenty years ago teachers were involved in extensive extracurricular activities such as pageants, plays, marching bands and so on. That gap has not been filled. Perhaps Dáil na nÓg could find out why this is not happening and also be proactive in this area. Is it due to a lack of vocation, compensation or remuneration? These issues must be examined. There is a dearth of after-school activities led by teachers with the assistance of young people. Many young activists grew out of that environment and a gap has been left. Perhaps we should engage with young people to try to establish how we can fill the vacuum. Lack of personnel and leadership is the problem, more than a lack of buildings.
We should find a way to engage with the group represented in the longer term, not just by having an exchange of ideas, although that is important. This is probably one of the most invigorating presentations we have heard, even though most of the others would be made by adults from professional backgrounds. I found today's session to be exceptionally invigorating but we should find a way of ensuring continuity.
I am a little concerned about my seat in the Seanad having heard some of the speakers today. I do not know how the Members of the Dáil feel. We seldom witness such a television approach to presentations. Every time we thought our concentration span was getting a little weak the next person took over and we absorbed everything that was said. I would love to find some forum in which to make what they are doing even more pragmatic and practical. As the Minister of State with special responsibility for children is an exceptionally innovative man, he might come up with something. I am being genuine. There is absolutely no reason we should not push out the parameters.
Sometimes we can be a little stodgy and not prepared to move. We could have ongoing interaction with Dáil na nÓg. We could find a quiet committee room twice a year and any Deputy or Senator who wished to engage with it could do so. We would learn from such a process. I hope in that way we would be able to establish real measures. I sincerely compliment the young people before us. They provide exceptionally good leadership material for young people. They could be a conduit between the statutory bodies, those with the purse strings and those who create legislation. We should push out the boundaries a little and be somewhat ambitious and adventurous in trying to help them.
