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Background to Dáil na nÓg
Goal 1 of the National Children’s Strategy (2000 - 2010), states that ‘children will have a voice in matters which affect them and their views will be given due weight in accordance with their age and maturity’. The National Children’s Strategy is Government policy, aimed at improving the lives of all children in Ireland. (Throughout the National Children’s Strategy, the word ‘child’ refers to people under the age of 18.)
The Department of Children and Youth Affairs (DCYA) is the Government department responsible for implementating the National Children's Strategy.
As part of this, the DCYA is responsible for funding and overseeing Dáil na nÓg in partnership with the National Youth Council of Ireland. Also, Regional Participation Support Officers from Foróige and Youth Work Ireland support Comhairle na nÓg around the country.
Successive independent evaluations of Dáil na nÓg have noted that it has gone from strength to strength, with more challenging and contentious debate each year. Two hundred teenage delegates usually attend and discuss the issues they have identified as a concern for them in advance of the day. The main issues discussed by delegates on the day then become the focus of the Comhairle na nÓg National Executive's work for the following two years.
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