Launch of project to support young Travellers in Comhairle na nÓg and other youth participation structures

Minister Roderic O‘Gorman today marked National Traveller Pride Week with the launch of a project to support young Travellers in having a voice in local and national policy-making.

Minister O’Gorman announced the project at the Annual Information and Networking Event for Comhairle na nÓg Organisers, 2022.

This event brings those with responsibility for Comhairle na nÓg (local youth councils) in each local authority around the country together at the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to share learning and to hear about new initiatives.

The Minister, Comhairle organisers and key stakeholders heard from Kay McCabe of Involve, who are delivering this project on behalf of the Department.

The aim is to strengthen the links between Traveller communities and their local Comhairle na nÓg, so that young Travellers can have a say in local and national decision-making on policy, programmes or services.

Pictured left to right: Patrick McDonagh, Project Worker, Involve, Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O‘Gorman and Kay McCabe, Senior Project Manager, STATUS. Picture credit: Maxwells

Funded under the Dormant Accounts Fund, a key aim of the project is to support young people from the Traveller community to take part in Comhairle na nÓg meetings, events, consultations and other activities.

The project will focus on identifying, through local Traveller groups, young people from the local traveller community who are interested in participating in their local Comhairle and will provide any additional supports they require to do so meaningfully.

When launching the project Minister O’ Gorman said

“Comhairle na nÓg is well established in Local Authorities across the country.  In keeping with the aims of the Five Year Development Plan for Comhairle, which I launched last year, we want to broaden the reach of Comhairle, and include children and young people who need additional support to have their voices heard.”

Speaking at the launch Kay McCabe, Senior Project Worker with Involve said,

“Involve are really looking forward to this new partnership with the DCEDIY and Comhairle na nÓg.

“As a youth service that specialises in working with the Traveller community we are aware of some of the barriers that exist for Traveller Youth participation in Comhairle, such as a lack of self-confidence, cultural aspects and discrimination, but we hope through working together we can increase engagement, retention and participation.

Having an open-door policy and treating everyone the same is not always enough to foster equality sometimes extra supports are required to create equity, we are delighted to see that the DCEDIY has made steps to  provide these extra supports.”

The project aims to:

• Enhance awareness of Traveller youth organisations, communities and leaders of the potential of Comhairle na nÓg, Dáil na nÓg and the National Youth Assembly of Ireland as a means for young Travellers to have a voice in local and national Government policy and decision-making.
• Create sustainable links between the Traveller community and Comhairle other youth participation structures that can be sustained long term, to facilitate the ongoing inclusion of young people from the Traveller community over time.

Provide a model for inclusion of seldom heard young people in Comhairle na nÓg. The Department aims to capture the transferable learning and recommendations based on the implementation of the project and utilise these for future inclusion initiatives with other seldom heard children and young people.