National Consultation with children and young people

National Consultation with children and young people on the new National Children’s Strategy (2012-2017), Monday, 4th April – Friday, 8th April 2011

Work has commenced in the Department of Children on the development of a new National Children’s Strategy. The new Minister for Children, Frances Fitzgerald, TD, would like to find out the issues of real importance to children and young people all over the country in order to inform the strategy. The national consultation will give them the opportunity to have their voices heard in relation to matters that directly affect their lives.

Children and young people are invited to complete questionnaires in all schools and Youthreach Centres throughout the country from Monday, 4th April – Friday, 8th April 2011. The questions were designed in consultation with children and young people themselves and ask about what’s good, what’s not good and what they would change about being a child or young person in Ireland today.

All data collected will be analysed by a consultation team at Trinity College, Dublin and fed into the development of the new National Children’s Strategy. A report of the children’s consultation process will be published online later this year.

This exciting project represents the Government’s commitment to the goals of the current National Children’s Strategy (2000-2010) and to the continued implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. By helping promote this consultation, you are ensuring that children and young people in Ireland will have their voices heard on issues of importance to them.