Welcome to my journey through activism! This page is a summary of my main points of attainment that we have achieved over the last number of years. Feel free to contact me at any point about any of the below sections, I’d be more than happy to talk through them!

Clerical Officer of the Irish Second-Level Students' Union (ISSU)

Since July 2024, I have been employed as the Clerical Officer for the Irish Second-Level Students’ Union (ISSU). My core responsibilities include managing the union’s finances and clerical tasks, such as overseeing the main organisation inbox, handling queries, and processing invoices and expenses. However, with my previous experience in the ISSU, I have been fortunate to take on work beyond the typical remit of a Clerical Officer, allowing me to apply my skills in a broader capacity.

In addition to administrative duties, I led the organisation of the ISSU’s General Election Manifesto campaign, where we surveyed hundreds of students and lobbied candidates on key issues affecting young people. This campaign resulted in a successful lobby day and secured commitments from over 50 elected representatives to advance our policy asks before the next election. I actively seek out projects like this to stay engaged with youth-related issues and ensure that young people’s voices are heard.

I was also the staff lead for this year’s Debate Your Decision Makers event. Drawing on my expertise and past experience with the initiative, we expanded its reach, involving more decision-makers and students than in previous years. Every time I contribute to this event, it reignites my passion for advocating for young people and engaging second-level students in the 2030 Agenda.

Currently, I am assisting in preparations for An Chomhdháil Bhliantúil, our annual congress. This involves coordinating elections, liaising with schools and media personnel, organising a 300-person event, and working closely with an 11-member team to ensure its smooth execution.

Dublin City University

I am in the final year of my B.A. in Economics, Politics, and Law at Dublin City University, set to complete my degree in April and graduate later this year. Describing my journey through third-level education as a whirlwind would be an understatement. While the course has presented its challenges, DCU’s unique program has broadened my perspective on historical and contemporary political landscapes, demonstrating how Economics, Politics, and Law intersect.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my studies, particularly in Constitutional Law, International Political Economy, and European Union Law, in which I achieved First Class Honours. More recently, I have excelled in modules such as Climate Change Law, Migration Politics, and Public Policy. These subjects have deepened my passion for government operations, political systems, public diplomacy, international relations, and issues affecting minority groups. Through my coursework, I have had the opportunity to explore these topics in depth, producing meaningful assignments that reflect my growing expertise.

National Youth Action Group (NYAG) of Youth Work Ireland (YWI)

Since July 2023, I have been a member of Youth Work Ireland's National Youth Advisory Group (NYAG). The role of the group is to act as young people’s voices in the governance of Youth Work Ireland. In November of last year, the group embarked on an Erasmus+ funded trip to the European Parliament in Brussels. Here, we held talks with the European Youth Forum, Ireland’s Permanent Representative to the European Union and a number of MEPs such as Maria Walsh, Grace O’Sullivan and Seán Kelly. The purpose of this trip was to set our focus for the next year, and with the meetings we had and experience gained, we are now running a campaign to increase youth participation and representation in the Local and European Elections in June. To date, we have lobbied the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage and An Taoiseach to set the date of the Local and European Elections to be Saturday the 8th of June and having it the previous day as scheduled would interfere with students and first time voters sitting the Leaving Certificate.

Irish Second-Level Students’ Union (ISSU)

During the 2022/23 term, I served as the Sustainability Officer for the Irish Second-Level Students’ Union (ISSU). I dedicated significant attention to advancing Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). A pivotal part of my role involved active participation in both the Interdepartmental Steering Group on ESD and the ESD Advisory Group at the Department of Education. Here, I advocated for the perspectives of 600,000 students before influential decision-makers. Notably, I played a crucial role in ensuring that student and youth voices were heard in the development of the new School Sector Climate Action Mandate.

One of the notable achievements during my tenure was the successful organisation and execution of 'Debate Your Decision Makers,' Ireland's largest national sustainability consultation event for young people. Held at the Mansion House in February, the event witnessed numerous students engaging in spirited sustainability-focused debates with politicians. Noteworthy figures like an Taoiseach, Uachtarán na hÉireann, and Minister Norma Foley, along with several esteemed guests, delivered special addresses. From these discussions, the students collaboratively crafted a comprehensive list of 41 sustainability-related demands, which now serves as a government action plan. This list has been formally presented to Minister Eamon Ryan, Minister Foley, and other influential political figures.

During this event, we introduced five policy documents, each meticulously crafted by the ISSU in collaboration with students. These documents serve as comprehensive guides to foster sustainability in every school nationwide. The reception has been overwhelmingly positive, with expressions of gratitude pouring in from various quarters, including Department officials, as well as students and teachers. They commend us for furnishing them with a solid foundation to instigate sustainable transformation within their school communities.

SpunOut

In late-2022, I was filmed by SpunOut for a documentary about youth climate activism . It showcased three young climate activists, Erin, Alannah and myself as we told our stories on how we got involved in activism at a young age. The video has amassed over five hundred thousand views online and has spread information on how to get started as an activist to thousands of young people throughout Ireland and abroad.

There is a space for everyone in climate activism. Find the area that suits you. Erin, Jamie and Alannah share how they first got involved.