Ms Roisin Myers:

I thank the committee for the invitation and opportunity to speak here today concerning the constitutional future on the island of Ireland.

We live in an Ireland that currently has the youngest population in Europe, with more than one third of our nation’s population being under the age of 25. These young people are our country’s future. It is vital that they are enabled to develop the necessary skills to enact change, engage with global and national issues, learn the importance of teamwork in community involvement and understand the power behind their voice. These skills are nurtured through experience and taking a hands-on approach.

Organisations throughout the Republic of Ireland and Europe use vital funding, such as Erasmus+, to provide young people with opportunities to engage in international youth work. Erasmus+ is the EU programme for education, training, youth and sport. It has a budget of €26.2 billion for all of Europe to fund learning mobility and cross-border co-operation projects for 10 million Europeans of all ages and backgrounds.

I am speaking this morning as a young person who has had the privilege of engaging in youth work, both at a national and international level. I wholeheartedly feel that this youth work has been crucial to utilising my voice as a young a person and in developing my opinions on topical affairs. I developed these opinions through going out into the world and conversing with fellow young people from a diverse range of multicultural backgrounds. Examples of this youth work include working with the NYCI, through the Young Voices EU Youth Dialogue and travelling internationally with the European Youth Parliament. Attending events like these open many doors for me, including my attendance in the Seanad this morning.

As well opening my eyes to a world of opportunities, taking part in international youth work shaped who I am as a person. Providing a space for young people to explore and discuss topics that are highly relevant in today’s ever-changing world instils a sense of empowerment and nurtures self-confidence within young people.

International youth work acts as a stepping stone into our future. It creates bonds between various countries and allows young people to challenge their personal biases and become more tolerant and understanding of other cultures and communities. Listening to various experiences enables them to consider perspectives that they otherwise would never have given thought to. The benefits are truly endless so it deeply upsets me that passionate and diligent young people from Northern Ireland could not avail of the same opportunities I could solely because of a lack of access to funding.

Post Brexit, the UK Government replaces EU funding with an initiative called the Turing scheme. The scheme aims to act as a global mobility programme for students from a variety of institutions such as colleges, universities and schools. The scheme is an inadequate replacement for the Erasmus+ programme as its structure is systematically exclusionary and creates a gap that many young people outside of the formal sector fall through. The vast majority of the opportunities that I have availed of are unrelated to my formal education. The Erasmus+ programme has always had a reciprocal nature of disregarding fee differences between participating universities. Previously, this made the prospect of studying in the UK, where fees are high, attractive to foreign students thus increasing social mobility among youth from across the globe. The Turing scheme has no such nature which means that European students, including those from the Republic of Ireland, are discouraged from going to the UK for study placements. Also, students with a British passport must apply for a long-term visa to live in a Schengen state for more than 90 days in an 180-day period. This can be a costly process that requires proof of economic solvency, which many students do not have. Why is the replacement for EU funding targeted towards marginalised youth and the non-formal sector? In order to move towards a future in which there is collaboration and strong relationships on the island of Ireland, actual mobility and social mobility should be guaranteed for all irrespective of their geographical background.

In conclusion, I will make a few suggestions to the committee. First, funding should be allocated for which organisations can apply to fund collaborative efforts between young members from the North and South of the island. Second, a unique framework should be devised that would allow youth organisations to work together. Scouting Ireland is an example of an organisation that has managed to adopt an all-island approach, although it has not been easy. Progressive changes like this allow for unity within groups. In Scouting Ireland, scouts are not viewed as being members of Scouts UK or Scouting Ireland but rather as representatives of their respective counties. In creating these cross-Border links there is a widespread feeling of unity, connectivity and solidarity among members. My suggestion would encourage other organisations to follow suit. Finally, I would like to see a continuation of discussions between young people on our constitutional future on the island of Ireland. Conversations in which a multitude of perspectives are heard, such as those occurring today, allow for understanding and creative thinking. I propose that a committee of young people be formed to continue these progressive conversations. Giving a seat at the table to a diverse group of youthful voices is crucial in aiding decision-makers to create sustainable policies that adequately cater to all. It also gives young people faith in the future because they feel listened to and believe their views are taken into account. Providing a formative space for understanding policies supports young people to see themselves as co-designers of policy processes and outcomes. We can only begin to move forward if all sides are listened to. Is fíor an seanfhocal, ní neart go cur le chéile. I thank the committee for its attention. I welcome any questions and comments on my contribution.