Minister for Children, Disability and Equality Norma Foley TD has launched a new, free online eLearning course designed to support meaningful involvement of young people in decision-making. The self-paced course offers checklists, videos, and quizzes to help ensure that children and young people’s voices are considered in decisions that affect their lives. It is aimed at anyone working directly with children or interacting with them regularly in their professional roles, providing practical knowledge and confidence in facilitating child and youth participation.
Developed by Hub na nÓg, the national centre of excellence for children and young people’s participation and funded by the Department of Children, Disability and Equality, the course equips professionals to integrate youth perspectives into local, regional, and national decision-making. Minister Foley emphasized the importance of giving children a say in decisions that impact them, noting that consultation with teenagers had already shaped initiatives like new recreational spaces funded by the Department of Children.
The eLearning course is relevant for a wide range of professionals across multiple sectors, including public service employees, educators, healthcare and social care workers, early years practitioners, law enforcement personnel, and staff from non-governmental and private organizations providing services to children. By building the capacity of adults in these roles, the course supports the broader goals of the Participation of Children and Young People in Decision-making Action Plan 2024–2028.
The course also aligns with Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which grants children the right to freely express their views and have them given due weight in matters affecting them. Through this eLearning module, professionals can better ensure that children’s input informs decisions in family, educational, policy, and community contexts. The course is now accessible online at the Hub na nÓg platform.
