Limerick secondary school students gathered in Limerick County Hall in Dooradoyle today for the 11th annual County Limerick Comhairle na nÓg.
The Comhairle or ‘Youth Council’, which is part of a programme being run by the Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, is a local forum for young people where they can discuss local and national issues of relevance to them.
In recent years, children and young people from every part of Limerick have discussed a variety of issues, including anti-social behaviour, drugs, alcohol, bullying, and the way future recreation facilities will be developed and managed. The theme explored by Comhairle members this year was sex education, information and awareness that young people are receiving.
The Cathaoirleach of Limerick County Council explained that the objective of the Comhairlí or ‘youth councils’ is to give children and young people a voice at a community level. Cllr. Jerome Scanlan added that the annual event also helps to reinforce the need for the County’s main agencies to work together, as well as engage with young people on the issues that they deem to be of importance to them.
Addressing Comhairle delegates in County Hall today, Cllr. Scanlan said: “As Cathaoirleach and a County Councillor, I understand the importance of considering the opinions of younger members of the community when devising local or national policy. After all, you are the community leaders in the future. For participants, Comhairle na nÓg is about working for a better future for your county, your community, your families and yourselves. More importantly, the Comhairle enables young people to engage with decision makers.”
Today’s event featured workshops during which students were asked to discuss the issue of sex education and in the process, formulate key recommendations on the issue. The recommendations put forward will be submitted to the Department for Children and Youth Affairs in the coming weeks. The workshops were facilitated by Limerick Youth Service, County Limerick VEC, The Red Ribbon Project, the HSE, the Limerick County Development Board, and staff from the Community and Enterprise section of Limerick County Council.
Today’s event concluded with Comhairle members nominating students to represent Limerick on The National Executive next month. The event will bring Comhairlí representatives from 34 local authority areas together in Dublin.
Commenting on the 2012 Comhairle, Joe Walsh, Youth Worker, Limerick Youth Service, stated: “As in previous years, the students’ recommendations at the end of today’s workshop sessions illustrated their keen understanding of the topic of sex education, as well as their collective opinion on what are the gaps for County Limerick teenagers in this regard. Their examination of the issue and how it affects them will reap dividends in the years to come as it will feed into Government policy on the matter.”
According to Teresa Normile, Sexual Health Project Worker with the Red Ribbon Project: “We are delighted to see that young people have chosen to discuss sexual education as a topic for this year’s AGM. Young people seem to know what they want and they want to receive sexual health information. It is our job as professionals to support them in accessing this information. It is important professionals such as teachers, youth workers and even parents deliver non-judgemental, informative and open sexual health information to young people,” she said.
Further information on Limerick County Comhairle na nÓg is available from the Community and Enterprise section of Limerick County Co
The Comhairle or ‘Youth Council’, which is part of a programme being run by the Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, is a local forum for young people where they can discuss local and national issues of relevance to them.
In recent years, children and young people from every part of Limerick have discussed a variety of issues, including anti-social behaviour, drugs, alcohol, bullying, and the way future recreation facilities will be developed and managed. The theme explored by Comhairle members this year was sex education, information and awareness that young people are receiving.
The Cathaoirleach of Limerick County Council explained that the objective of the Comhairlí or ‘youth councils’ is to give children and young people a voice at a community level. Cllr. Jerome Scanlan added that the annual event also helps to reinforce the need for the County’s main agencies to work together, as well as engage with young people on the issues that they deem to be of importance to them.
Addressing Comhairle delegates in County Hall today, Cllr. Scanlan said: “As Cathaoirleach and a County Councillor, I understand the importance of considering the opinions of younger members of the community when devising local or national policy. After all, you are the community leaders in the future. For participants, Comhairle na nÓg is about working for a better future for your county, your community, your families and yourselves. More importantly, the Comhairle enables young people to engage with decision makers.”
Today’s event featured workshops during which students were asked to discuss the issue of sex education and in the process, formulate key recommendations on the issue. The recommendations put forward will be submitted to the Department for Children and Youth Affairs in the coming weeks. The workshops were facilitated by Limerick Youth Service, County Limerick VEC, The Red Ribbon Project, the HSE, the Limerick County Development Board, and staff from the Community and Enterprise section of Limerick County Council.
Today’s event concluded with Comhairle members nominating students to represent Limerick on The National Executive next month. The event will bring Comhairlí representatives from 34 local authority areas together in Dublin.
Commenting on the 2012 Comhairle, Joe Walsh, Youth Worker, Limerick Youth Service, stated: “As in previous years, the students’ recommendations at the end of today’s workshop sessions illustrated their keen understanding of the topic of sex education, as well as their collective opinion on what are the gaps for County Limerick teenagers in this regard. Their examination of the issue and how it affects them will reap dividends in the years to come as it will feed into Government policy on the matter.”
According to Teresa Normile, Sexual Health Project Worker with the Red Ribbon Project: “We are delighted to see that young people have chosen to discuss sexual education as a topic for this year’s AGM. Young people seem to know what they want and they want to receive sexual health information. It is our job as professionals to support them in accessing this information. It is important professionals such as teachers, youth workers and even parents deliver non-judgemental, informative and open sexual health information to young people,” she said.
Further information on Limerick County Comhairle na nÓg is available from the Community and Enterprise section of Limerick County Co
