Tipperary has a new representative on the National Youth Assembly

A student from St Anne’s Secondary School in Tipperary Town is Tipperary youth council’s new representative on the National Youth Assembly, Tipperary County Council’s February meeting was informed.

Niamh O’Brien’s selection to the national consultative forum for young people to present their views to Government on policies and legislation, was outlined to councillors in a presentation on Tipperary Comhairle na nÓg’s work over the past year.

The presentation was given by Tipperary Comhairle na nÓg members Chloe Duggan, who is the new South Tipperary Chairperson and Michal Kolodziejczak, who chairs the Clonmel Sub-Group.

They informed councillors this was the fourth term in a row that a Tipperary Comhairle na nÓg has been represented on the National Youth Assembly, which is significant as not all counties’ youth councils get to have a representative on the assembly.

Niamh, who is from Pallasgreen, takes over from Abigail Strappe from Cappawhite, a student of St Ailbe’s Secondary School in Tipperary Town, who recently completed her 18 month term on the National Youth Assembly.

Councillors were informed Tipperary Comhairle na nÓg, like the National Youth Assembly, is the formal voice for Tipperary’s young people.

The Comhairle has 40 members divided into sub-groups based on the county’s five municipal districts with two co-chairs, representing north and south Tipperary.

The youth council works with Children and Young People Services Committee and Tipperary County Council to be the consultative voice for young people in the county. It also has links with the Youth Committee of Tipperary ETB and Tipperary Public Participation Network (PPN) and Planet Youth.

It also has members on the Health Promotion Committee of Youth Work Tipperary and Healthy Tipperary and was recently consulted by Tipperary Sports Partnership on the development of an Outdoor Recreation Plan for the county.

While Niamh O’Brien represents the county on National Youth Assembly, Olivia D’Arcy from Cahir is Vice-Chair of Comhairle na nÓg’s National Executive.

The Comhairle delegates also informed the Council a delegation took part in the Dáil na nÓg (National Youth Parliament) in Leinster House last year.

Another highlight was Nenagh members receiving a Garda Youth Award for their project on Consent.

Meanwhile, 12 new members were elected to Tipperary Comhairle na nÓg at the AGM in TUS Thurles in November. The Comhairle’s members are continuing work on the issues of vaping and drugs this year.

The delegates also highlighted how rising costs for transport and food were impacting the operation of Tipperary Comhairle na nÓg.

They pointed out the national budget hasn’t increased to allow for the increase in costs and Tipperary was a huge county with meeting locations changing each month to enable some members to have shorter journeys each time. The costs problem was highlighted nationally and Tipperary County Council has given some funding.

Council Cathaoirleach Cllr Declan Burgess of Fine Gael and Independent Cllr Máirín McGrath, who are both former Tipperary

Comhairle na nÓg members, paid tribute to Chloe and Michal on their informative presentation.

Cllr McGrath praised the work of Pauline Strappe of Youth Work Ireland and Angela Sheehan of Tipperary County Council with Tipperary Comhairle na nÓg

Cllr McGrath along with Cllr Burgess is on Tipperary Comhairle na nÓg’s Steering Committee.

She said she would propose to the committee that county councillors be invited to future AGMs of the youth council.

She said young people were often criticised for not being engaged in public life but the activities of Tipperary Comhairle na nÓg showed this was not the case.

Other councillors echoed their praise of Comhairle na nÓg.

Clonmel Cllr Siobhán Ambrose said it was pertinent that Comhairle na nÓg is looking into the drugs issue and putting forward initiatives to tackle this problem which is destroying young lives.

Cashel Independent Cllr Liam Browne said the Council needed to give the youth council more support and had a responsibility to get into every secondary school and get young people registered to vote.

“A lot of young people don’t realise you can pre-register to vote from the age of 16 onwards. That is something Comhairle na nÓg can get involved in,” he suggested.

Thurles Independent Cllr Jim Ryan suggested Comhairle na nÓg send in a submission to the Council seeking extra funding.
He believed the Council should provide this funding as it was “refreshing to see young people getting involved in politics”.

Cllr Burgess pledged the Council’s support to Comhairle na nÓg for any budget measures it required and also the steering committee’s support.

Tipperary County Council Cathaoirleach Cllr Declan Burgess, Angela Sheehan of Tipperary County Council, Tipperary Comhairle na nÓg members Michal Kolodziejczak and Chloe Duggan and Cllr Máirín McGrath at Tipperary County Council's Civic Offices in Clonmel on the occasion of the Council's February monthly meeting

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