Last week, Irish President Michael D Higgins launched the final report of his Being Young and Irish consultation process.  Almost 800 young people took part and relayed their views on Irish society and also gave some ideas on what they propose the future of Ireland should look like.  So what were the results?

The Prez asks the next generation to lead the way

Well, the part that stands out from an equality standpoint was the need for marriage equality and adoption rights for same sex couples.  How great is it to see the youth of the country being so progressive and inclusive?  Marriage Equality have welcomed the report, Chair Grainne Heal,  saying

We would like to thank all the young people who took part in this consultation process and expressed their desire to see a fairer, more equal society in Ireland.  Support for marriage equality has always been strong among young people, and what this consultation process and its report have shown is that young people want to see Ireland take the lead on important issues of equality.  They want to build a more modern society that respects diversity and believes in equality for all.

The provision of marriage equality is among the issues to be dealt with by the upcoming Constitutional Convention, which will have its first meeting on December 1st.  The group will be chaired by Concern’s Tom Arnold and will include 33 political representatives as well as 66 members of the general public.

Be the change you want in the world

It is a very important time for the marriage equality campaign and if you would like to get involved then why not visit one of your own TDs to discuss the issue?

Now is the time for marriage equality.  Public support amongst Irish people is at 73%, many public officials have actively stated their support for the issue, and local authorities up and down the country have been voting in favour of marriage equality.  The Constitutional Convention is a huge opportunity for us as a country to take the next step as a modern, democratic country and be leaders when it comes to equality for all

For more information on the campaign go to the marriage equality website and get involved.