Make your voice heard

Do you ever wish that you had more of a voice in society? The disadvantage of being too young to vote is that the concerns of people who are older than you are much more likely to be on political agendas. But there is a place where you can voice your opinions and, possibly, make a difference to young people in Ireland.

The Youth Advisory Panel is a group of young people who advise the Ombudsman for Children, Emily Logan, when she's making decisions that affect young people. Her role is to ensure that government decisions about young people are taken with their best interests in mind. The 15 original members of the panel even interviewed Logan for her job.

Now the panel wants to expand its group to between 20 and 25 members, and it is on a mission to recruit them.

Aoife May, who is from Athy, in Co Kildare, is a third-year student who has been on the panel for some time. "I was involved in Comhairle na nÓg, and from there I was voted on to the Youth Advisory Panel," she explains. "We basically advise Emily about things to do with young people. Last April we advised a UN committee that came over about young people's issues."

She is keen to point out that it's not all work and that they do "fun stuff" as well.

Áine Treanor, who is a transition-year student from Co Monaghan, is also on the panel. "I think my highlight was when I presented an Irish speech to the President," she says.

There are meetings most months, although location can cause problems for some. "I try and get down as much as I can," says Áine. "I make it whenever there's a big project on."

"You always feel respected and listened to," says Aoife. "It's just brilliant, especially if you're a TY student. You have the time to devote to it that year."

"I've met so many people through this, and I'm friends with all the people on the panel," says Áine. "If people are interested, I'd say go for it. It's a brilliant opportunity."

"We're basically looking for every sort of person," agrees Aoife. "Everyone is the perfect candidate. It's just great to be involved."

If you are interested in being involved in the Youth Advisory Panel, you can download an application form from www.oco.ie, the website of the Office of the Ombudsman for Children. You should click on the About Us tab, then on the Youth Advisory Panel link, which will bring you to the forms and all the information you need