AT Grange Community College, Donaghmede, we’re one of 40 schools in the country who are studying a new Leaving Cert subject called Politics and Society.
We will be the first students to do it as a Leaving Cert subject in June 2018.
As part of this subject we have to do a project which is worth 20 per cent of our overall mark. There is a good choice in these projects – you can study areas like sustainable development and how Irish identity is changing.
The project I decided to do is on facilities for young people in my area. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child states: “The right of the child to rest and leisure, to engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child and to participate freely in cultural life and the arts’’.
I made a study of the area I’m from, Donaghmede. There are a lot of good things about Donaghmede for young people but I feel the Government can do a bit better for us.
Teenspace is a document which was launched by the Government in 2007. It lists the ways that recreational opportunities for young people between the ages of 12 and 18 will be developed. Teenspace says that the youths are entitled to volunteering, involvement in clubs, the arts, physical activity, discos, youth cafes.
So far I have got in contact with Cllr Tom Brabazon (FF) and Lord Mayor of Dublin Micheal Mac Donnacha (SF), two of the local councillors in my Local Electoral Area (LEA) which is Donaghmede/Beaumont.
Cllr Brabazon sent me a lovely letter offering his support which was really good. It showed me that people and politicians are interested in the things that affect young people in our area.
I’ve also been in touch with all the major political parties. I have found that some parties are better at getting back to me than others.
I made an Instagram page called ‘Donaghmedecitizens’ to raise awareness on social media. I’m going to promote Donaghmede and show the positive and negatives on my Instagram page.
I chose Instagram because I feel like a picture speaks a thousand words. More people use Instagram because it has got more popular among the whole world especially with young people.
I’m going to be highlighting what young people have in other areas of Dublin which we don’t have in Donaghmede. Yet!
I really think that we should have a Youth Café in the Donaghmede area. Having a Youth Cafe would make sure that youths stay out of trouble and are able to socialise with people they might have never spoken to before.
It gives young people a safe space where they can chill out and be themselves. It can be tough being a young person today and something like this can be a really great resource for the youth in the area.
• Taylor Delaney is a sixth year student at Grange Community College.