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........