AQW 12143/17-22
Ms Claire Sugden
Independent
East Londonderry
Tabled Date: 16/12/2020
Answered On Date: 16/09/2021
Priority Written: No
Question:
To ask the First Minister and deputy First Minister (i) when their planned press conference to take questions exclusively from young people is to be rescheduled; and (ii) what correspondence there has been with youth groups such as the NI Youth Forum in order to hear their concerns about support and other issues for young people.
Answer:
We appreciate that our young people have specific issues and concerns and are actively trying to communicate with as many people as possible in ways that are relevant and accessible to them. As part of our ongoing commitment to communicate effectively with young people, we have taken part in a range of engagement activities. Most recently, we have engaged with educational organisation Politics In Action as part of their ‘New Normal’ project, with Junior Minister Middleton and the deputy First Minister taking part in an online event. Pupils from 20 schools across Northern Ireland posed a series of questions to the Ministers, in a press conference style, in front of an audience of around 200 students. We have also participated in an online youth press conference in conjunction with Cool FM. Around 25 young people from across Northern Ireland took part in the event, asking questions on a range of issues important to them. The event was broadcast by Cool FM on Facebook, gaining 141.4k views, with an additional 130k views of edited content posted on their social media accounts. In the Autumn of 2020, a bespoke communications campaign targeting 16-25 year olds using social media platforms including Tik Tok and Mobsta, with the average young person seeing this over 15 times. We will continue to review and reflect on the most effective communications approach with younger people and more broadly with all members of the public.
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