Young Ireland Programme 2018

While storm Ali raged on in Ireland, our colleague Maeve spent the week participating in the Young Ireland Programme 2018 in North Queensferry near Edinburgh in Scotland. Delegates participating in the programme came from both Ireland and Scotland from organisations ranging from Coillte to the Department of the Taoiseach, The Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, the Department of Business, Enterprise & Innovation and many more. This very diverse range of delegates led to an eye opening week with discussions such as ‘Rural v’s Urban Living’, ‘The Housing Crisis across Ireland’ and ‘The Importance of the Citizens Assembly in the Lead-Up to the most recent referenda in Ireland’ making it a very informative and thought provoking week. The overall Young Ireland Thinker of the Year was awarded to Mr. Patrick McCabe from the Department of Justice & Equality for his paper on the tyranny of counting, a world in which crude measurement takes precedence over professional and ethical judgements

The purpose of the Young Ireland Programme is to develop the communication skills and broaden the horizons of people in the early stages of their working lives. It does so through an annual residential course of three days’ duration in which delegates are encouraged to think and talk freely about the big issues facing us as a society. Through discussion and dialogue, the personal testimonies of inspiring speakers, and the delegates’ own presentations on questions of ‘current interest or controversy’, the programme helps to build confidence, stimulate debate, and increase awareness of the world around us. The minimum age for entry is 18, but there is no upper age-limit: the Young Ireland Programme is open to anyone in the formative years of their career, irrespective of age.

If you think you or someone in your organisation would benefit from such a programme next year or you would like more information on the programme, see their website Young Ireland Programme