The Donegal Youth Council is a partnership between Donegal County Council, The Health Service Executive and the Department of Children Equality Disability Integration and Youth and coordinated by Foroige, which provides a platform for young people in Donegal to have their voices heard on issues that affect them. Donegal Youth Council follows similar structures as the Donegal County Council as they are elected by their peers to represent them as young people. Young people are elected through their schools and youth organisations. The Youth Council serves as a consultative forum to which young people can identify topics and create action projects to address these topics and inform key decision-makers. Donegal Youth Council ensures that young people’s voices are heard locally and nationally, with representatives selected among the Youth Council committee on local, regional and national committees.
Each year the Donegal Youth Council holds an Annual General Meeting (AGM). On this day young people from all over Donegal are invited to come together and discuss the issues/topics impacting young people. From these, the top three topics are voted for and will be the main topics of work for the Donegal Youth Council going forward for the year. This year the Donegal Youth Council’s top three issues voted for in the 2022 AGM were Mental Health, Social Media /Body Image and Drugs, alcohol, Tabaco, and Vaping.
The Donegal Youth Council also elects one person to represent the Donegal Youth Council and the young people of Donegal at a national level on the National Executive. This young person not only works on national forums and committees but also brings forward the voice of the young people in Donegal to a national stage. Each year all Comhairle na nÓg vote for one main topic for the National Executive to work on for the year ahead along with providing a national consultative forum for issues or topics relating to young people.
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