Some 140 teenagers filled the Assembly Chamber for a debate on anti-social behaviour, underage drinking and drug taking.
The event, hosted by the Speaker of the Assembly, was organised by the Junior Ministers, Jeffrey Donaldson and Gerry Kelly, who have responsibility for children and young people, as an opportunity to hear directly from young people about issues affecting them as well as to encourage engagement with the democratic process.
The debate was structured to be as authentic as possible with the Speaker, Mr William Hay MLA, chairing it and Official Record recording it as well as Assembly Broadcasting providing video footage of the day.
In an unusual twist it was MLAs and other policy-makers who filled the seats in the public galleries to hear the young people’s views.
Welcoming the debate Jeffrey Donaldson said: “Young people have a vital part to play in shaping their own futures and have a valuable contribution to make to this important debate.
“Today’s event is truly unique and highly significant as their views will feed directly into our work. I have been impressed by their depth of understanding of the issues and the standard of the arguments presented.
“It is clear from the contributions we are all united in the view that there needs to be urgent action to deal with the effects of anti social behaviour, both for the individuals who are involved and for those who are affected as a consequence.
“We need to find out why so many young people become drawn into anti social behaviour including underage drinking and drug taking so that we can together address the underlying causes and put in place measures that raise awareness with a view to reducing the occurrence of these behaviours,” said Mr Donaldson.
Junior Minister Kelly added: “We have made it clear from that start that children and young people are one of the groups we want to give priority to.
“As an Executive we are committed to making positive changes for young people. Prioritising and protecting their rights and addressing their needs are key issues for all of us.
“We recognise the difficulties faced by teenagers, so it is important that the topic of today’s debate, ‘tackling anti-social behaviour’, is an issue that young people have identified as being relevant to them.
“It can also have a huge impact on residents and communities by increasing fear and causing people to withdraw from their community.
“We will continue to work hard to bring real solutions that will support young people, so when they are vulnerable or in crisis and need help it is available and responsive to their specific needs,” Mr Kelly added.
The Speaker, Mr William Hay MLA, congratulated the young people on the quality of the debate and said he hoped their experience of the Assembly was a positive one.
“It is encouraging to see so many young people taking part in this debate, the first of its kind to be held in the Assembly Chamber, experiencing at first hand how the Assembly works.
“The Northern Ireland Assembly is committed to ensuring that its work is open and transparent. Holding a Youth Parliament in the Assembly Chamber where so much has been achieved in the last 18 months is a powerful symbol of the future of politics.
“They presented strong arguments but also listened to each others viewpoints with great care. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a few of them back in those seats in years to come,” he added.
Notes to Editors:
- · The Junior Ministers will bring the views put forward in today2s debate to the Ministerial Sub-Committee to ensure that they are taken on board when developing actions to improve the lives of children and young people, particularly those who are vulnerable.
- The young people, aged between 12-18, represented various groups from across Northern Ireland and many were nominated by their MLAs,
- Junior Ministers Jeffrey Donaldson and Gerry Kelly, who have responsibility for coordination of policy and promotion of children and young people’s rights, will shortly be embarking on a programme of visits to meet with young people in their own environment to listen and learn about the issues on the ground that really matter to them.
