Congratulations to Mustapha in Fifth Year!

On Thursday, 11th September, Mustapha proudly represented our school at the Youth Advisory Panel for Child Poverty, an event linked with the Department of the Taoiseach. Ten ministers from the Dáil and Michael Ryan, Director General of the World Health Organisation, was also in attendance. This event held at the Aviva Stadium, which focused on mental health and childhood poverty in Ireland.

Seventeen young people from across Ireland were selected from over 5,000 applications to join this panel and have their voices heard. The students presented a video they had prepared highlighting key issues such as providing extra support for families through food vouchers, ensuring sanitary products are available in schools and to reinforce Coco’s Law to younger students.

Outside of school, Mustapha is an active volunteer with Spunout and his local Foróige group. He earned his place on the Spunout Action Panel through a competitive application and interview process. This summer, Spunout held a lobbying event to bring together young people interested in shaping policy, supported by Hub na nÓg, which works to ensure the voices of children and young people are included in decision making at a national level.

Some of the topics raised at the panel included the cost of public transport, the success of our school’s breakfast club and how similar initiatives could be rolled out nationally, as well as the introduction of free school books for senior students.

In October, Mustapha will again join the Taoiseach and Tánaiste at Leinster House to continue discussions on tackling child poverty in Ireland.

We are very proud of Mustapha and all the students involved in this important initiative.