Legacy Report (2023-2025)

In October 2023, a second cohort of 90 young people took up the mantle of a two-year term in the Northern Ireland Youth Assembly. They stepped into the places occupied by young people in the inaugural 2021-2023 mandate, keenly aware of the successes of those who had come before and determined to pick those up, drive forward their agenda, and make a difference for young people in Northern Ireland.

This report provides a comprehensive overview of the second mandate of the Youth Assembly (2023–2025), highlighting its recruitment process, training and capacity building, operations, committee work, plenary sittings, engagement with Assembly Committees, and its impact on civic and political discourse.

Recruitment

Over 400 young people applied to join the Youth Assembly in response to a comprehensive advertising campaign across Northern Ireland, which called on those in school years 9 to 12 to apply. The recruitment phase, as with all elements of the previous mandate, was carefully designed with young people and supported with input from experts on the best models to follow.

Of the 90 new Youth Assembly Members, 54 were randomly chosen according to their home location – three from each of the 18 constituencies in Northern Ireland. A further 36 young people were randomly drawn from communities of interest – groups with additional or different experiences that reflected the wider make-up of Northern Ireland society.

Training and Capacity Building

As in the first mandate, the new Youth Assembly Members quickly began training and team building activities designed to support them in their role. A key underpinning of the work was to ensure that safeguarding and support was woven into the fabric of the Youth Assembly. Topics such as mental health, speech writing, media training, debating, and children’s rights were covered, as well as the purpose and powers of the Northern Ireland Assembly, how legislation is made, and how voting works.

 

Committees

Youth Assembly committees are formed following a robust process which involves primary research and democratic votes. At their first meetings, Youth Assembly Members discussed the issues affecting them and their peers and took some time to agree the subject areas which would underpin the Big Youth Survey (a large-scale survey of young people). This survey, widely promoted among young people in Northern Ireland, asked them to choose their top issues and suggest new ones that the Youth Assembly might focus on. When the survey results were available, the top 10 issues were identified and debated in plenary.

Youth Assembly Members then voted for their top three issues, which in turn formed the basis of the Youth Assembly committees.

The resulting three committees, Education, Health, and Rights and Equality were approved and convened.

Youth Assembly Members had a choice of which committee they would like to be part of. Once decided, a committee planning day was held in May 2024 at which Youth Assembly Members in each committee examined the issues in detail and decided on their areas of focus.

In addition to in-person meetings, Youth Assembly committees met monthly online. These committees formed the backbone of the Youth Assembly throughout the two years as they examined issues, took evidence from experts including young people, made recommendations, and reported back to key stakeholders including Assembly Committees and Ministers. The work of the three Youth Assembly committees is summarised briefly below:

• Education Committee: Focused on the reform of the Learning for Life and Work (LLW) curriculum to make it practical, engaging, modern, and youth led. A large-scale youth survey drew out six key recommendations including: curriculum modernisation; better teacher training; interactive delivery; improve the real-world applicability; protected timetable status; and greater youth involvement in shaping content.
  
  
• Health Committee: Conducted a major inquiry into mental health provision in schools, hosted a youth stakeholder day, and produced nine recommendations including: reducing stigma; improving counselling access; statutory mental health education; teacher training; peer support initiatives; and interdepartmental collaboration between Health and Education.
  
  
• Rights and Equality Committee: Investigated young women’s rights in schools, gathering over 1,100 survey responses from young people. Recommendations included: the introduction of specific sexism policies in schools; reform of uniform rules; improved harassment reporting systems; inclusive Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE); tackling online misogyny; and promoting female youth voice in school decision-making

Plenary Meetings

Five plenary sittings were held in the Assembly Chamber throughout this mandate, chaired by the Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly, Edwin Poots MLA, or the Deputy Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly, John Blair MLA. The 90 elected Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLAs) use this Chamber every week, so it is a privilege to be able to bring the issues that were discussed in Youth Assembly Committees ‘to the floor of the House’ where many big decisions affecting Northern Ireland have been debated and voted on over the decades.

These sittings provided Youth Assembly Members with a formal platform to present their work, debate issues, and engage directly with Assembly procedures.

Youth Assembly plenary meetings dealt with a wide range of issues. These included standing items, such as Youth Assembly Committee updates, as well as topical matters, such as lowering the voting age to 16, mobile phone use in schools, and setting Youth Assembly priorities based on the “Big Youth Survey.”

Engagement with Assembly Committees

The resumption of normal Assembly business in February 2024 marked a turning point for the Youth Assembly in its second mandate, ushering in a new era of influence, collaboration, and visibility. Youth Assembly Members seized the opportunity to work shoulder-to-shoulder with Assembly Committees, contributing meaningfully to legislative scrutiny, public inquiries, and events that reflect the priorities of young people across Northern Ireland.

Their voices have not just been heard – they have helped shape the conversation. From Bills and Legislative Consent Motions to public inquiries, Youth Assembly Members have informed and influenced decision-making at the highest levels. Their input has been discussed in Assembly debates and influenced Committee recommendations, demonstrating the value of youth participation in legislative scrutiny.

They engaged with eight statutory and standing Committees in this mandate, contributing evidence on a wide range of issues including school uniforms, Relationships and Sexuality Education, child poverty, outdoor education, careers provision, pension reform, tobacco and vapes, justice reform, banking and, most recently, the Dilapidation Bill.

Consulting with the Youth Assembly has become embedded in the practices of the Assembly Committees, ensuring that the perspectives of young  people are systematically integrated into consultation processes and policy development. This sustained engagement reflects a broader institutional  commitment to embedding youth voices within the democratic process and strengthening participatory governance.

Impact and Legacy

The second mandate of the Youth Assembly has demonstrated the power of structured youth participation to enrich democratic processes in Northern Ireland. Through evidence-based recommendations, formal engagement with Assembly Committees, and high-profile advocacy, Youth Assembly Members have elevated youth concerns on a range of issues including education, health, and equality.

Assembly Committees consistently seek the views of Youth Assembly Members, recognising them as credible and articulate representatives for youth voice in Northern Ireland.

The quality of their engagement, marked by thorough preparation, thoughtful analysis, and a measured approach, has earned the respect of Committee Members and contributed to a cultural shift within the Assembly. Consultation with the Youth Assembly is no longer an occasional gesture; it has become a routine and embedded element of Committee practice, reflecting a genuine commitment to inclusive and participatory governance.

Over the course of this mandate, Youth Assembly Members have demonstrated remarkable personal and collective growth. They have researched, drafted and delivered speeches, participated in formal debates, and engaged in complex discussions on policy and legislation. Their contributions have gone beyond commentary. They have persuaded  decision makers, articulated the practical value of their proposals, negotiated differing viewpoints, and reached consensus on challenging issues. In doing so, these young people have represented the Youth Assembly with professionalism and conviction, often in ways that exceeded their own expectations at the time of joining. This evolution underscores the transformative potential of youth participation when it is meaningfully supported and institutionally recognised.

The Next Steps

It is hoped that their time with the Youth Assembly has been instrumental in building the skills, confidence, and understanding of democratic principles of every Youth Assembly Member. With preparations for the third mandate in full swing, the outgoing Youth Assembly Members have noted recommendations for their successors to consider. Equally importantly, they have taken the time to note some words of advice for the cohort of young people who will take on this important role in the next mandate and an alumni group of ‘Legacy Youth Assembly Members’ will ensure that the new Youth Assembly Members are well supported as they settle into their roles.