COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, February 13, 2023

QUESTION NO. 14

QUESTION: Councillor C. O'Connor

To ask the CEO what actions are being taken to reach out to young people in communities across our County to cater for their views and needs; will he appreciate the importance of the whole matter and will he make a statement? 

REPLY:

The needs and views of young people in South Dublin are very important to the Council, both in developing our strategic objectives and in many operational aspects, especially given the demographics in many local areas.

In particular, our various community development and sports teams work closely with local youth service providers on appropriate service provision, including through our network of community facilities.  We have engaged in significant consultation with young people around the development of the local sports plan, which is ongoing, building on a range of individual consultations in recent years around teen spaces and other initiatives.  We supported engagement by a range of agencies for child poverty seminar late last year, which will also inform the new Local Economic and Community Plan for South Dublin.

Targeted social inclusion initiatives for young people and the ongoing support for South Dublin Comhairle na nÓg and their various priorities identified in recent years including Climate Change, Body Image, and Mental Health, along with their 2023 focus on Drugs and Addiction and ensuring that Comhairle has a platform for engagement with the full Council as well as Strategic Policy Committees and other local committees including the Local Community Development Committee and the Children's & Young People's Services Committee further underscore the level of commitment by the Council to ongoing engagement with local young people.