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Youth Policy

Introduction

The Young Greens are one of the fastest growing and dynamic youth sections of all the political parties, with branches in over six third level institutions and plans for at least three more, including one in Northern Ireland. (Young Greens are the largest political party organisation in Trinity College.) Opinion polls continue to testify to the popularity of the Green Party and Green Party policies among young people and students.
The MRBI opinion polls have consistently shown the Green Party’s popularity to be highest with the under-25s. Whether it be education policies, health, environment or justice issues, young people identify with the message of the Greens and its concerns for all our futures.

• Funding
  Irish schools have become dependent on charity following years of neglect by successive governments. If people want to donate money to schools, it should be purely voluntary, no chasing up, no asking, no pressure on children, no stating of recommended amounts.

• The Green Party will:
  * Increase funding for education by €1 billion over and above the 2007 Estimates and, as part of a 10-Year Plan and subject to a full cost-benefit analysis, retain this €1 billion investment for each of the following nine years, index-linked to the first year’s investment;
  * Increase, by €269m over 2007 figures, investment in the school building programme, with eco-design, energy efficiency and multi-use facilities being criteria;
  * eliminate the need for voluntary contributions by schools through an increase in the capitation grant and allow schools to register for VAT refunds.

• Primary Education
  Class size is absolutely key to the quality of education. Many children are being left behind in our school system at a very early stage. Investment at this level will save on many problems further down the line.

• The Green Party will:
  * introduce a guaranteed statutory maximum class size of 25 over the term of Government;
  * ensure an average class size of 20, prioritising under-9s by providing 1,200 extra teachers;
  * provide additional funding for the National Education Welfare Board so that it can roll out the necessary staff under the National Education Welfare Act;
  * establish an Integrated Resources Mobile Unit for schools with a Speech Therapist, Social Worker, Education Psychologist and a Public Health Nurse working together.

• Secondary Level
  A good Leaving Certificate and on to college has been assumed to be the standard route to success but we wish to provide more alternatives in order to ease pressure on students and tackle drop-out rates.

• The Green Party will:
  * promote a new alternative route for qualifications to the Leaving Certificate and LC Applied, especially for students who are at risk of leaving school early
  * split the Leaving Certificate with 5th year and 6th year exams and review the number and type of subjects being studied at senior level and assessed for third level entry points;
  * refer the status of the three mandatory Leaving Certificate subjects (English, Irish, Maths) to the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) and ask them to examine the possibility of a new Computer Studies subject and a single Science subject at senior level.
  * Develop a national sexual health strategy, including free and confidential health centres for young people and the updating and full implementation of sex education programmes in schools.
  * Prohibit the distribution of homophobic materials in schools. Homophobia is one of the most prevalent and damaging forms of bullying in the Irish school system and needs to be tackled with a lot more vigour than it is currently.

• Third Level and Post-Leaving Cert
  Everyone has a right to access post-secondary education in some form. Whether that be through professional skills courses (e.g. FETAC, FÁS), or the more advanced qualifications offered by Institutes of Technology and universities, financial considerations should not be an impediment to accessing appropriate third-level education. Third level institutions should not be run for, by or like companies.

• The Green Party will:
  * maintain free fees which are an important part of making the right to third level education accessible to all;
  * provide an adequate level of maintenance support to enable students to meet their cost of living, particularly those who cannot live at home;
  * rationalise the student financial supports maze and introduce baseline funding for under-represented groups.

Health

In line with our focus on primary healthcare, the Green party will extend accessibility and awareness of health services, promote health education, and give far greater priority to community healthcare. Access to good healthcare should not be dependent on the ability to pay.
• The Green Party will:
  * Medical cards for children under 6 will be introduced within the first term of government, extended to under-18s in the following term, with free primary health care for all by 2017;
  * Free and confidential health centres for young people under 25, such as piloted by the Cork-based Youth Health Service, will be established in other parts of the country;
  * Establish brief intervention systems on a national basis for young people who present with alcohol related problems in our schools, universities, health centres and GP surgeries, emergency rooms and courts. Brief intervention programmes can provide immediate help and counselling and it is commonly accepted that they are effective in moderating drinking habits and reducing future alcohol-related harm;
  * A national sexual health strategy will be developed and the present sex education programmes in schools updated and seen to be fully implemented;
  * Minimize VAT on condoms to the lowest possible levels under EU law;
  * All measures will be put in place to protect children, and vetting plans for those working with children instituted as a matter of urgency. The ‘stay safe’ programmes must be fully implemented in our schools.

Housing

The cost and availability of housing has been one of the biggest social and political issues in Ireland over the past decade. Getting on the property ladder is a major issue for young homebuyers. The increasing number of those on housing lists and of those in receipt of the rental supplement shows that the property boom is not delivering for the needs of young people.
• The Green Party will:
  * set up a Housing Authority, under the auspices of the Department of the Environment, whose objective will be to shape and influence the development of housing policy through research, market analysis and information and advice;
  * extend relief on stamp duty for older persons who are ‘downsizing’ and for first-time buyers who wish to purchase the property that is being made available as a result of such downsizing.

Juvenile Justice

Tackling anti-social or criminal behaviour by juveniles doesn’t lie in ASBOs or in ignoring the complex issues giving rise to such behaviour: boredom, a lack of appropriate recreational space, drugs, alcohol, dysfunctional family backgrounds and a sense of isolation from society. The children appearing before the Children’s Court are overwhelming young males from backgrounds of disadvantage and poverty. Many children present at the Court with mental health issues, behavioural problems, substance and alcohol abuse. The complexities of these problems are rarely adequately addressed by the Courts.
• The Green Party will:
  * Fully implement the provisions of the Children’s Act 2001, which provides a wide range of measures to counter anti-social and criminal behaviour;
  * Repeal the sections of the Criminal Justice Act that provide for the introduction of ASBOs for both adults and children and fully implement and resource the following alternatives: a) Garda Juvenile Diversion Programme and Projects, b) conferencing, bringing together the child, parent(s), Gardaí, educational and social services; and c) Community Sanctions;
  * Ensure that the age of criminal responsibility remains at 12 years of age;
  * Give additional resources to the Juvenile Liaison Scheme and the Garda Diversion Programme, provide more community Gardaí, and ensure that Gardaí are properly trained for dealing with children in marginalized communities;
  * Support and expand programmes such as the ISPCC Schoolmate Drug and Alcohol pilot prevention programme, which provides a direct-access support service to vulnerable young people at risk of early school leaving, due to drug and substance misuse, and addresses the devastating impact that multigenerational drug and alcohol abuse can have on children and families;
  * Invest in proper facilities for disadvantaged areas, as was promised under theRAPID Programme

More information on all other youth Issues