The European Parliament Office in Ireland

12 March 2010: 'This is not a gender issue, it is a democratic issue'

These were the words of Elaine Byrne, columnist with the Irish Times, as she addressed today's forum which asked the question 'do we need quotas to ensure women are fairly represented?'  The event, organised by the European Parliament Office in Ireland to commemorate International Women's Day, was also addressed by Labour Party MEP, Nessa Childers, by Rachel Doyle of the National Women's Council of Ireland and by Gail McElroy of Trinity College.  All members of the panel agreed that the lack of childcare provision was a significant factor in low female representation and that as Ms Childers stated, the lack of female representation in politics meant that the Irish political system 'seems to be one designed by men, for men.'

12 March 2010: Irish secondary school students visit European Parliament in Strasbourg

25 students from Donegal, Mayo, Meath, Wexford, Wicklow, Westmeath, Cavan, Monaghan, Waterford, Tipperary and Cork, were in Strasbourg last Friday, 12 March, to get a flavour of what it is like to work as an MEP. The students were winners of the 2010 Michael Sweetman Education Trust (MSET) competition. Every year, the MSET runs a competition for students from Irish vocational schools to promote awareness of contemporary social issues.  Students studying the Social Education module of the Leaving Certificate Applied research a contemporary issue and then write about their findings.  In addition to having their projects assessed by the State Examinations Commission, students who have entered the MSET competition then have their projects adjudicated by a member of the trust.

9 March 2010: Irish winner who will compete for Charlemagne Youth Prize announced

'You are here', a book project including contributions from 14 young people across Europe, was today announced as the Irish winner which will go forward to compete for the Charlemagne European Youth Prize in Aachen in Germany on 11 May.  The project, which was submitted by John Holten from Ardee, Co. Louth, brought together young people born after 1980, 'who enjoy freedom of movement in Europe and work in a country they did not grow up in.'  These young people have also grown up without the shadow of the Berlin Wall.  Mr Holten said that the project had succeeded in creating 'greater European awareness among [the] group, including people who would normally not get a chance to meet each other or publish their work together.'