W
hat is Comhairle na nÓg?
Comhairle na nÓg are youth councils operating in each of the 31 local authorities around the country. They are the recognised national structure for participation by children and young people in decision-making.
They give the members an opportunity to be involved in, and have a voice in, the development of local and national services and policies on any issues that affect them in their local area. Comhairle na nÓg has 2 main objectives:
- To encourage young people to identify, prioritise and progress topics that are important to them through enabling their influence on decision-makers to take action.
- To act as a consultative forum for adult decision-makers who want to include the views of young people in their work, whether it is policy development or gathering feedback on services and facilities.
What is Galway County Comhairle na nÓg?
Galway County Council host a Steering Group to monitor the delivery of Comhairle na nÓg at a local level. This group also makes sure that young people involved in Comhairle na nÓg can talk to important decision-makers and have their opinions heard on local issues.
Youth Work Ireland work directly with the Comhairle na nÓg Committee to progress their annual topic and are currently working on youth mental health with a specific focus on the impact of social media on mental health, and are progressing materials to raise awareness of this issue.
What is the Annual Youth Conference?
The Annual Youth Conference is a key element of Comhairle na nÓg. Young people aged between 12-17yrs can represent their school or youth organisation at the Annual Youth Conference or AGM, which:
- Is run and led by the Comhairle Members themselves.
- Invites discussion on topics of importance to young people.
- Has a vote on identifying a working topic for the year ahead.
- Includes feedback on what progress has been made on the topic for the current year.
- Invites new members to join the Comhairle Committee for the year ahead.