Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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121. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will detail his engagement with youth groups on climate action issues, their role in policy development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27392/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The Climate Action Plan 2021 commits to engaging with young people through the National Dialogue on Climate Action (NDCA) which has been established under my Department to engage, inform and empower everyone in society to address climate change. In 2021 we engaged young people in the Climate Conversations through the Comhairle na nÓg network.

In February 2022, in partnership with the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, we held the first National Youth Assembly on Climate where 38 young delegates met through deliberative workshops, agreed key priority areas, and presented these recommendations for consideration in the next iteration of the Climate Action Plan.

In March 2022, we invited 4 members of the National Youth Assembly on Climate to represent the voice of young people at the National Climate Stakeholder Forum. We have two more assemblies planned for 2022.

We will shortly be launching the Climate Conversations 2022, where we will engage actively with young people through focus groups and local workshops, as well as providing an opportunity for everyone over 16 to provide input into the an online consultation.

Through An Taisce my Department continues to support the Green Schools, Young Environmental Ambassadors, Young Reporters for the Environment and Green Campus.

We will also work with the Department of Education to build climate action into the national curricula.

We are also supporting research to better understand how different age groups are experiencing the challenge of the transition to carbon neutrality which will help us target policies and initiatives.

These initiatives ensure the views of our young people are systematically embedded in climate action and policy.