National Youth Council of Ireland – Comhairle Náisiúnta na nÓg
Media Release
Youth Council renews calls to retain Department of Children and Youth Affairs
- Dismantling it would be ‘betrayal of this generation of young people and must be rejected’
- Now more than ever, young people will need their own voice in Cabinet
The National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI) – which represents organisations working with over 380,000 young people nationwide – has renewed its call for the retention of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs (DCYA) in the next Government.
Mary Cunningham, NYCI Director said:
“The proposal that the Department may be dismantled and its functions be cast to the four winds is a betrayal of this generation of young people and must be rejected.
Now more than ever, young people will need their own voice in Cabinet given they are facing into such a difficult and uncertain future.”
The establishment of the Department for Children and Young Affairs in 2011 – and the appointment of the first ever cabinet level Minister – was a significant development, explained Ms Cunnnigham.
“Several damning reports and inquiries had demonstrated that since the foundation of the State that the needs, concerns and voice of children and young people were too often forgotten and ignored in Government. The establishment of DCYA was a demonstration that the State valued children and young people and was at last willing to address their needs and concerns in a coordinated manner across Government.
So these reports that that the Department of Children and Youth Affairs may now be abolished should deeply concern everyone in society,” added Ms Cunningham.
“The retention of the DCYA was one of the key asks in our manifesto for the General Election, and we will be working to ensure that the message is heard that young people need to have a voice at the cabinet table,” concluded Ms Cunningham.
ENDS
For further information, please contact Daniel Meister, Communications Manager at NYCI on 01 425 5955 or 087 781 4903 or email communications@nyci.ie
National Youth Council of Ireland
The National Youth Council of Ireland is a membership-led umbrella organisation that represents and supports the interests of voluntary youth organisations and uses its collective experience to act on issues that impact on young people.