President Michael D. Higgins is to meet with representatives from the Union of Students in Ireland and its member Students’ Unions tomorrow in Áras an Uachtaráin at 4.30pm. The meeting is intended to give student representatives a chance to discuss the President’s Being Young and Irish 2012 initiative.
The Being Young and Irish 2012 initiative seeks to advance the national discourse on inclusion by harnessing the power of young people, enabling them to participate and be more involved. The President is inviting young people aged 17 – 26 to contribute practical suggestions for the improvement of Irish society through an online consultation process and in regional workshops. The consultation will culminate with the President’s first national seminar, which will take place later this year.
USI and its member Students’ Unions have welcomed the President’s initiative and his willingness to engage with young people in a meaningful and constructive manner.
Presidents from twenty three Students’ Unions will attend the meeting, along with USI’s Officer Board. The visiting Students’ Unions include:
- Institute of Technology Blanchardstown
- Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design & Technology
- National University of Ireland Galway
- Waterford Institute of Technology
- IT Tallaght
- National College of Ireland
- St. Angela’s College Sligo
- Dublin Institute of Technology
- Limerick Institute of Technology
- Letterkenny Institute of Technology
- NUI Maynooth
- Dundalk Institute of Technology
- University College Dublin
- University College Cork
- Institute of Technology Carlow
- Trinity College Dublin
- Institute of Technology Sligo
- Athlone Institute of Technology
- Mater Dei Institute
- Queens University Belfast
- Galway Mayo Institute of Technology
- IT Tralee
- LIT Tipperary
Submissions can be made online at:
http://www.president.ie/
The deadline for submissions is September 29.
USI President John Logue said:
“USI and our member Students’ Unions are proud to support and promote the President’s Being Young and Irish 2012 initiative. We are encouraging as many young people as possible to make submissions. At this time in our country’s history we are more in need than ever of the creativity, inventiveness and enthusiasm of young people.
Young people are rarely engaged in the decision making process at government level. Indeed, successive governments have deliberately held General Elections on days that are inconvenient for college students who are not registered to vote in the city or town in which they attend college.
With this initiative the President has shown a genuine willingness to listen to ideas from young people and to present them as a way for our country to move forward from the regressive malaise that has taken hold for too long.”
For more information contact USI Media and Communications Executive, Ronan Costello, on 085-1164263 or email media@usi.ie
The launch of Being Young and Irish: