COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

South Dublin County Council Crest

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, December 09, 2024

QUESTION NO. 7

QUESTION: Councillor N. Fennell

To ask the Chief Executive for a report on engagement with Comhairle na nÓg. Report to include how often does the council meet with the Comhairle na nÓg and what plans are in place for ongoing engagement with Comhairle na nÓg.

REPLY:

South Dublin County Council engages with Comhairle na nÓg throughout the year through a number of forums. Cllr Darragh Adelaide, Cllr Vicky Casserly, Cllr Emma Murphy, Cllr Madeleine Johansson and Cllr Justin Sinnott are members of the Comhairle Steering Committee and this representation ensures there is connectivity with the elected members on an ongoing basis.

The Comhairle meets every three weeks and consists of 40 members from across the County. The Comhairle presents their program to the Council annually and also to the Local Community and Development Committee and the Social, Community and Equality SPC. The Mayor engages with the Comhairle in relation to their programme on an ongoing basis and attends the annual youth conference.

The annual youth conference took place in The Plaza Hotel on the 23rd October 2024 and was attended by 80 young people from schools and youth services in the County. The top three issues highlighted by young people in South Dublin were school stress, drug misuse and mental health. Following a vote of the members, mental health was identified as the primary issue facing young people and will be the topic of focus for 2025.

Council engagement with the Comhairle has continued to grow and we have built on last years events such as '€20K Have Your Say' to imbed the Comhairle into our decision-making processes. The Comhairle has also been involved in discussion for the provision of youth spaces, the poverty consultation as part of the Local Economic and Community Plan  and they have had input on our Arts programme. It is our endeavour to develop intergenerational projects between the Comhairle and the South Dublin Older Peoples Council in 2025.

The 2023 Annual report is provided and the 2024 Annual Report will be available in January 2025 and ciruclated to members.