Garret Kelleher (Fine Gael)

I often think of the seanfhocal "Mol an óige agus tiocfaidh sí" when dealing with and interacting with young people, particularly young people involved in community groups and organisations, because young people are the future of our society, and our clubs and organisations. We need them to participate for our organisations to survive and thrive. I was recently contacted by Ms Bebhinn Lombard, the Munster regional organiser of Young Fine Gael, about an issue of concern that has arisen on the campus of UCC pertaining to the affiliation of youth sections of political parties. It relates to the affiliation of Young Fine Gael as a branch on the campus of UCC. A clerical issue arose that resulted in the branch not been re-affiliated in 2024. Early in 2025, the organisation contacted the UCC societies executive to address the issue and overcome the administrative barriers preventing it from re-affiliating. The rules on the establishment of youth sections of registered political parties changed in August 2025. The societies council instituted a new rule prohibiting registered political parties or youth wings of political parties from establishing but applied this only to new societies, which precluded both Young Fine Gael and also the Social Democrats from re-affiliating as societies on campus.This seems inherently unfair as other political groups have youth wings which have been allowed to continue as societies. A meeting took place yesterday between Young Fine Gael, the Social Democrats, Ógra Fianna Fáil and Ógra Sinn Féin on the campus of UCC, all of whom were supportive of the re-establishment of both the Social Democrats and Young Fine Gael as societies on the college campus.

As I said at the beginning, for our community groups to survive and thrive, it is essential we have the participation of young people. I call upon the UCC societies executive to reverse its decision and allow youth wings of political parties to function as societies on the college campus.