Dáil na nÓg 2017

Dail na nÓg 2017 – ‘Equality’ 

Dail na nÓg 2017 took place in Croke Park on Wednesday 6th December. The theme for this year was Equality: ‘in all fairness…’, voted on by 325 Comhairle members from all over the country in advance of the event. Dáil na nÓg 2017 was chaired by two members of the outgoing National Executive: Luke Casserly, Longford Comhairle na nÓg, & Megan Skinnader, Donegal Comhairle na nÓg. Over 200 young people from Comhairlí all over the country attended the event.

What happened on the day?
You can download the Dáil na nÓg Delegate Report here: Dail na nOg Delegate Report 2017
Delegates worked in discussion groups on the theme of Equality with other young people in the room. Each discussion group was facilitated by young people from the outgoing Comhairle na nÓg National Executive and co-facilitated by an accompanying adult. They  discussed the theme of Equality: ‘in all fairness’… under each of the five settings mentioned below:
 School
 Home / community
 Online
 Public Services
 Sport / leisure

After the discussions, they had the opportunity to vote on the five settings and to choose their top setting which will form the basis of the work of the incoming Comhairle na nÓg National Executive 2018-19. The winning setting was school, which should offer plenty of scope for the National Executive to work with.

In the afternoon a Questions and Answers session took place with important decision-makers relevant to the theme for the day: you can read a more detailed account of the workshop session and the questions asked at the Q&A here: Dail na nOg 2017 Workshop Report

Chair: Dr Fergal Lynch, Secretary General, Dept of Children & Youth Affairs
Panel:
David Stanton, Minister of State for Equality, Immigration & Integration
Carol Baxter, Assistant Secretary, Head of Asylum Services, Integration & Equality, Dept of Justice and Equality
Tanya Ward, CEO, Children’s Rights Alliance
Niall Muldoon, Ombudsman for Children

A steering committee was established in June 2017, made up of three Comhairle members and a coordinator from each of three of the following Comhairlí: Kerry, Limerick and Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown. They were involved in all aspects of the planning for the event, and the Comhairle members later took part in a workshop to come up with a methodology for the day.

Here are the faces of the Dáil na nÓg Steering Committee 2017:

Delegates attending on the 6th December can download this year’s guide here:
Dail na nOg Guide 2017    It tells you everything you need to know about the day and what to expect.

#dailnanog #equality