Young Greens (Ireland)

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Young Greens Óige Ghlas
Chairperson	Vacant
Secretary	Dan Hatter
Founded	2002
Headquarters	16–17 Suffolk Street, Dublin 2, Ireland
Ideology	Green politics Social progressivism
Mother party	Green Party
European affiliation	Federation of Young European Greens
Website	younggreensireland.ie/

Young Greens (Irish: Óige Ghlas) is a youth political organisation in Ireland that acts as the youth branch of the Green Party and the Green Party in Northern Ireland. As a youth party they focus on issues that affect young people including education, housing, drug use and reproductive rights.^[1]

History[]

The Young Greens were formed in March 2002, as a group of students from the four main college campuses, which focused on the environment and social justice. It soon branched out to other college campuses and other themes, like opposition to the Iraq War and support for the Kyoto Protocol and Fairtrade. It campaigns for protection of the environment, human rights and more funding for education. The Young Greens conduct campaigns on a local as well as national level.^[2]

Member groups[]

The Young Greens currently have member groups throughout Ireland, most of which operate within third level institutions. The member groups include;

• UCD Young Greens^[3] is based in University College Dublin
• UCC Greens Society^[4] is based in University College Cork
• Young Greens NUIG^[5] is based in NUI Galway
• NUIM Young Greens is based in Maynooth University
• QUB Young Greens is based in Queen's University Belfast
• Trinity Young Greens^[6] is the branch that operates in Trinity College, Dublin.
• Rural Young Greens
• Northern Ireland Young Greens^[7] are based in Northern Ireland and are affiliated to the Green Party of Northern Ireland.
• Kildare Young Greens^[8] are based in County Kildare.
• Carlow/Kilkenny Young Greens^[9] are based in the Carlow/Kilkenny Dáil constituency.
• Mná Glasa Óga

Organisation[]

The Young Greens operate as defined in "Young Greens – Óige Ghlas Constitution". The current constitution was adopted in 2017.

Membership is open to students engaged in second or third level education and all residents of Ireland between the ages of 16 and 30. Young Greens operate autonomously of the Green Party and membership of Young Greens does not confer Membership of the Green Party (Ireland).

All Member Groups of the Young Greens meet at least once a year at the National Convention, it is here that the Executive Committee is elected, the annual budget is approved and the constitution is amended. The meeting place of the National Convention is rotated between Member Groups.

The Young Greens are run by an Executive Committee, elected annually at the National Convention. The Committee meets at least six times a year. Any Member Group not represented in any Executive Position may elect an Ordinary Member to the Committee to act as a delegate with full voting rights. A member of the Young Greens Executive Committee is elected by the Committee to be the representative of Young Greens at the Green Party (Ireland) National Executive Committee.^{[citation needed]}

The Chairperson of the Executive Committee acts as the chief public representative of the Young Greens.^[10]

Elected Young Greens[]

Six Young Greens were elected as councillors in the 2019 Irish local elections. They are:

• Eva Dowling
• Lorna Bogue
• Lawrence Hemmings
• Séafra Ó Faoláin
• Una Power
• Daniel Whooley

Since then, Lawrence Hemmings has resigned his seat and Lorna Bogue has resigned as a member of the party.^[11][12]

References[]

External links[]

• Young Greens official website
• Young Greens official Twitter
• Main Green Party website
• Federation of Young European Greens website