merrion street

Minister for Children Frances Fitzgerald today launched a consultation process for the development of the National Children's Strategy 2012-2017. The consultation will take the form of questionnaires filled out by national and secondary school students across the country. The students will be asked questions such as "What is the best thing about being a child in Ireland?" and "What is the worst thing about being a child in Ireland?" as well as being asked what they would change in Ireland for young people.

The consultation will take place in the week from Monday 4th April to Friday 8th April, and will reach every school and Youthreach Centre in the country, according to the Minister:

In essence, this consultation process will reach every school and Youthreach Centre in the country, with questionnaires asking children and young people what’s good, what’s not good and what they would change about their lives in Ireland today. The questions were developed by children and teenagers themselves, at consultations conducted by the Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (OMCYA) during 2010.

MerrionStreet.ie spoke to the Minister and some students present at the launch. You can view the video below.