Marking 30 years of youth policy

Thursday, June 26, 2014 - 00:00

A conference at Maynooth University today marks the 30th anniversary the publication of the Costello Report on National Youth Policy. Chaired by the late Justice Declan Costello, the National Youth Policy Committee was appointed by the Taoiseach of the day, Dr Garret Fitzgerald in 1983. Among the Costello Committee’s members were the then President of the Union of Students in Ireland, Joe Duffy, a future Minister for Education, Mary Hanafin, a young rock singer called Bono and researcher for the committee was Maurice Devlin, now Jean Monnet Professor in the Department of Applied Social Studies at Maynooth .

Speaking about publication of the Costello Report, Professor Devlin commented that “although Ireland in the early 1980s in some ways seems a distant place – with much less cultural diversity, and no hint as yet of a Celtic Tiger to come – the issues that prompted the establishment of the Costello Committee were in some ways strikingly similar to today.

“Back then almost half the population of Ireland was under 25, and while we are an ageing society today, we still have one of the youngest populations in Europe.
“There was a crisis of youth unemployment then, as there is now, and a major problem of young people having to emigrate. There was a great sense of urgency at the time about developing an adequate policy response, and the Costello Committee’s members were highly able, insightful and farsighted, but their recommendations for the most part weren’t followed through.”

The 30th anniversary of the Costello report coincides with the new National Policy Framework for Children and Young People, Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures, launched recently.

One key difference between today and the 1980s is that there is a full government department in charge of this area of policy, with a full cabinet Minister. “The fact that the Department of Children and Youth Affairs now exists will hopefully give impetus to the new policy framework and help to ensure that it is implemented on a whole-of-government basis”, said Professor Devlin. “It is certainly an impressive framework and another opportunity to get things right.”

Minister Flanagan said "the Youth Policy Conference was providing space and time for reflection, on where Irish youth policy has come from and most importantly, where it needs to go and how to get there." The Conference discussions and outcomes will help inform the new National Youth Strategy currently being developed by his Department. The National Youth Strategy is one of three whole of Government strategies currently being put in place under the National Policy Framework for Children and Young People, Better Outcomes, Better Futures.

The conference also saw the launch of the Jean Monnet European Centre of Excellence in Youth Work at Maynooth University, an award bestowed by the European Commission. This is the first such award in an Irish university since 1999, and the first in the youth work field in any country.

Caption: Professor Philip Nolan, Anastasia Crickley and Professor Maurice Devlin, Maynooth University with Minister Charlie Flanagan Minister for Children and Youth Affairs at the launch of the Jean Monnet European Centre of Excellence in Youth Work at Maynooth University, an award bestowed by the European Commission. This is the first such award in an Irish university since 1999, and the first in the youth work field in any country.