Lynn Ruane (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Some comments were made in this Chamber about certain types of political work, such as advocacy, being adults' work, and about children being exploited or used by particular groups when they begin to pursue their passion and purpose. Much of the commentary and critique around young women such as Greta Thunberg has focused mainly on her mental health and her Asperger's syndrome. As the mother of a young, passionate and purposeful woman with Asperger's, I can say quite confidently that the only thing that ever negatively affects her mental health is when the world responds to her in the way many people have to Greta Thunberg, claiming she is being used or manipulated and that she should still be in school. That young girl will achieve more for this world through her activism than she ever will by sitting in a classroom daily.