Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Thursday, 9 November 2023
Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement
Mapping Diversity, Negotiating Differences: Constitutional Discussions on a Shared Island: Discussion
Professor Jennifer Todd:
Yes. We interviewed some politicians on the side. We had one party-political person - a councillor - among our various focus groups. All the guests were primarily interested in social issues, and not always just economic issues. Some were passionately interested in gender politics or things like women's health or reproductive health. The disadvantaged young people we talked to were really interesting, and interested in social issues and in a sense in communication. They had absolutely no trust in politicians. They were kind of political but they did not like politicians and they wanted to talk.