ON March 27, 165 young people from the 31 Comhairle na nÓg (local youth councils) gathered in Leinster House to discuss the topics that we feel should be prioritised for young people over the next two years.
We were both honoured to be representing our Comhairle. We’ve been members for two years now and getting to represent our peers at a national level was so amazing.
We were delighted to have had the chance to participate in Dáil na nÓg - Ireland’s National Youth Parliament - at Leinster House.
Visiting the Dáil and sitting in the chamber where our country’s politicians debate legislation was surreal, and an experience we will never forget.
Our day started with the Opening Ceremony, which was chaired by the Ceann Comhairle and where young people debated different topics under the theme of Mental Health.
You might not realise this if you have only ever seen it in pictures or on television, but the Dáil chamber is much larger than it first appears. Sitting in this grand setting was intimidating so we have the utmost respect for all those who spoke on the day.
After this, we went into workshops to help us gain an understanding of the topics we were considering and to hear about issues affecting other young people in Ireland. Here we could discuss our opinions with other young people and make an informed decision in the final vote.
It was said in the Dáil chamber that the decisions we made that day would change the lives of young people all over Ireland, so we really wanted to be sure we were making the right decision.
We had two topics to vote between: mental health services and school stress. Getting to vote in the Dáil itself and experiencing the traditional method of voting through the division lobbies was really special, and something we could have only dreamed of.
The feeling of knowing that our voices mattered and that our votes counted was really memorable.
In the final vote, the topic of school stress was chosen by the delegates.
Although there were different opinions among young people on the day, it’s undeniable that school stress is a factor that impacts young people’s mental health and daily life. It stands out to us particularly because it is something that we have seen so many of our friends and classmates struggle with.
Now that this topic has been chosen as the priority, we feel that there are several areas that need to be focused on to improve young people’s experience of school stress.
For example, schools could hold more workshops on study skills, especially around long-term retention of information and time management. We believe these workshops should be held from late primary school and throughout secondary school so students are constantly developing these skills to relieve stress when studying.
A resource could be created for schools on how to help their students manage school stress and what they can do to make the school environment a less stressful place.
Another problem we need to tackle is the amount of subjects required for the Leaving Certificate. We believe the minimum number of subjects could be lowered along with a change in the points system. This would allow students to reduce their workload and focus on subjects needed for the courses and jobs they really want.
We also hope that the NCCA will take this on board and address areas of the curriculum that are particularly stressful or difficult for students.
Lastly, a problem which comes up a lot among young people is the quality of school guidance counselling. Many people we have talked to believe school guidance counsellors are ill-equipped and are often unavailable when needed, whether for career guidance or mental health issues.
We believe more training for guidance counsellors should be provided. There should also be an increase in the hiring of guidance counsellors to keep up with our schools’ growing sizes and demands.
School stress is an issue so close to us and our peers, and we’re looking forward to seeing what changes happen as a result of the vote in Dáil na nÓg. We hope that this issue will be taken seriously so that we can make a difference on it over the next two years for all young people across Ireland.
We also hope that the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and the Department of Education listen to the voices of young people on this topic, so that it receives strong support and makes change for the better.
We are so grateful for the opportunity we had to take our seats as delegates in Dáil na nÓg 2024.
As young people who are under 18 and not able to vote in elections, it was so important for us to have the chance to do so in the Dáil, and in this way to have an impact on the lives of all young people in Ireland.
We hope that more opportunities like this will be available to young people in the future, and that even more young people will be able to have their say.
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09.04.2024
ON March 27, 165 young people from the 31 Comhairle na nÓg (local youth councils) gathered in Leinster House to discuss the topics that we feel should be prioritised for young people over the next two years.
We were both honoured to be representing our Comhairle. We’ve been members for two years now and getting to represent our peers at a national level was so amazing.
We were delighted to have had the chance to participate in Dáil na nÓg - Ireland’s National Youth Parliament - at Leinster House.
Visiting the Dáil and sitting in the chamber where our country’s politicians debate legislation was surreal, and an experience we will never forget.
Our day started with the Opening Ceremony, which was chaired by the Ceann Comhairle and where young people debated different topics under the theme of Mental Health.
You might not realise this if you have only ever seen it in pictures or on television, but the Dáil chamber is much larger than it first appears. Sitting in this grand setting was intimidating so we have the utmost respect for all those who spoke on the day.
After this, we went into workshops to help us gain an understanding of the topics we were considering and to hear about issues affecting other young people in Ireland. Here we........
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