Ms Olive McGovern:

I will only say a few words as the young people will really hold the floor.

I wish to respond to the item in the committee letter on how the Department implements the delegate report from each Dáil na nÓg. In each Dáil na nÓg an independent report writer produces a report of the deliberations and findings of the young people. Following each Dáil na nÓg, the Department establishes a steering committee of the relevant adult policy-makers to support the Comhairle na nÓg executive to implement the recommendations of the young people as reported in the Dáil na nÓg delegate report. The process for the 2015 Dáil na nÓg report and all previous sessions was the same as the process we will have next month for 2017.

Since the theme was education in this instance, the following committee members were brought to work with the Department: Professor Dympna Devine, from UCD; Dr. Paul Downes from UCD, Clive Byrne from the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals; Jacqueline Ní Fhearghusa from the Department of Education and Skills Inspectorate; Carmel Corrigan, independent research; and Carmel Duggan, independent research. The committee also involved young people from the national executive along with staff from our Department and the participation team.

That group works as a steering committee to provide guidance and support to the young people on the national executive to give expert advice and get buy-in from relevant organisations where necessary and to attend meetings and answer questions raised by the national executive if required. That is by way of responding to the queries in correspondence from the committee regarding structures and systems which the Department has in place to support the young people on an ongoing basis. The rest of the time this evening is for the young people themselves.