Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 24 March 2022
302. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the progress he has made in establishing a national youth assembly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8763/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am pleased to say that significant progress has been made in fulfilment of the commitment given in the Programme for Government 2020 to establish a youth assembly. The National Youth Assembly of Ireland is now in place to act as a consultative forum on issues such as climate, rural and other important issues, as required.
The main function of the National Youth Assembly is to provide a systematic means of capturing the voices of young people in Ireland and feed this directly into Government policy, such as the annual revision of the Climate Action Plan and the work programme for Our Rural Future: Rural Development Policy 2021-2025.
By providing a forum in which young people can give their views, the National Youth Assembly of Ireland provides insight into some of the concerns facing young people, and assists Government in acting on the potential solutions that young people propose.
The Rural Youth Assembly was convened in November 2021 as a precursor to the National Youth Assembly of Ireland. The Minister for Rural and Community Development heard from young Comhairle na nÓg (Youth Councils) representatives (aged 12 to 17 years) on their experiences and views on rural Ireland. The views of the young people will inform recommendations for future actions under the Our Rural Future work programme.
Building on the success of the Rural Assembly event, the National Youth Assembly of Ireland was established. On 2nd March 2022 I convened, with Minister Ryan, the inaugural National Youth Assembly on Climate. Young delegates at the Assembly made recommendations to Minister Ryan, and these will inform the Climate Action Plan 2022.
Youth Assembly delegates range in ages from 12 to 24 years and come from all across Ireland. Thirty young people are selected to sit on the National Youth Assembly for a term of 18 months. The sitting delegates are nominated by established youth organisations including Comhairle na nÓg (Local Youth Councils). When selecting delegates from the young people nominated, the selection panel, which includes officials from my Department , aim to select a broad representation of diverse young people from a range of youth organisations, taking into account geographical spread, urban/rural representation, age, gender and special interests.
The sitting delegates are joined at each Assembly by up to ten guest delegates who have a special interest in specific topics being addressed (such as climate issues, rural development etc.). Guest delegates are nominated by established organisations that have a particular interest in the issue being addressed by the Assembly and from organisations relevant to seldom heard children and young people. Where there are more nominations than places available, a lottery system is used to choose delegates within the criteria specified.
The Youth Assembly will convene up to four times a year, including once as the National Youth Assembly on Climate and once as the Rural Youth Assembly. The Youth Assembly may also convene at other times on related issues or on other issues as required, with a maximum of four Youth Assemblies being convened in any calendar year.
The establishment and function of the National Youth Assembly also meets the commitment in the interim Climate Actions 2021 to Establish a Youth Climate Council as part of the new National Dialogue on Climate Action engagement model and annual Climate Action Plan consultations, to help support future dialogue with young people.
Including the voice of children and young people in decisions that affect them also fulfils Government commitments under Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
