Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will be brief. First, it is marvellous that we have these youth voices before the committee. We have spoken about minority voices in Northern Ireland. We have spoken about Northern voices and minority voices in the South as well. I am awe-inspired, as I think we all are on this side of the House, to see this Chamber full of young people and to hear the voices of youth, which are strong. I have one question, but before I do, the recurring themes of the five speakers before the committee today are clear and consistent.

These young people are from all sides of this island of Ireland and this is also part of this wonderful process, and I pay tribute to the Cathaoirleach in this regard.

To touch on some aspects of what was said, "diversity" was the strongest word used. Then there were also references to equality, inclusivity, unity, acceptance and accepting. These words recurred continually in all the speeches. Young people want to be part of the solution, and that came through loud and clear from all around the Chamber today. References were also made to a future for the island of Ireland that is fair and just.

That is a summary of my takeaway from the contributions that were delivered powerfully, impressively and emotionally by the witnesses. I say, "Well done" to them all. I have one question. Identity is an emotional response. It is a powerful response, and we all have our own identity that stems from where we come from, our past, our tradition and our culture. Turning back to the keyword, "identity", I ask the witnesses to share with us, in a few words, what they think identity means to them and if they see a greater acceptance in this regard. I ask this because we talk about diversity, respect, inclusivity and a united Ireland, but I would also like to talk about united minds and hearts. If you win hearts, you win minds. Therefore, I ask the witnesses to touch on the keyword of "identity", what it means to them and how they understand this concept in their contexts.