Youth manifesto launched

Barry McColgan, Shaun Tracey, Caoimhe Ní Swain and Seán Crowe at the launch of Sinn Féin's youth manifesto

Speaking at the launch of Sinn Féin’s youth manifesto last Sunday, Ógra Shinn Féin national organiser Barry McColgan said suicide prevention, road safety, Irish unity and tackling homelessness among young people are key priorities for Ógra Shinn Féin.
Suicide is now the most frequent cause of death among young people throughout the country and Ógra is calling for an all-Ireland strategy for suicide prevention along with the provision of much needed youth facilities and services, including mental health services, throughout the country.
McColgan said Ógra did not believe the Government should “criminalise young people with regressive measures such as ASBOs. Rather, we should be looking for the proper implementation of the Children’s Act to tackle low level crime while prioritising the provision of much needed youth facilities and services throughout the country”.
He said ASBOs had failed elsewhere and were destined to fail here in Ireland.

Key youth proposals

• As we approach the 100th anniversary of the 1916 Rising, step up the campaign for Irish re-unification.
• Reduce the voting age to 16 and hold all future elections at the weekend.
• Develop an all-Ireland strategy for suicide prevention.
• Make road safety a national priority – including driver training and road safety programmes in the school curriculum and make driver training compulsory,
• Establish a state run insurance company to ensure the exploitation of motorists of all ages is ended.
• Introduce legislation to prevent the auctioning off of documents and artefacts of historic significance.
• Oppose the war in Iraq and ban all US military aircraft from Irish airspace.
• Reduce the age of consent
• Double the grant at third level to reflect the true cost of living
• Increase the minimum wage to 60% of average industrial wage (approx €9.50) and keep them out of tax net.
• Increase state funding to community based arts, sports and recreational facilities for young people.
• Eliminate street homelessness by 2010.

Abolish ASBOs.