Children would like to ditch racism and bad weather but keep shepherd’s pie

Primary schoolchildren tasked with imagining the sort of country they want to live in after 2016 have said they’d like to rid Ireland of racism but hang on to shepherd’s pie. A series of children’s consultation events are being held by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs as part of the 2016 centenary programme.

Children are looking at life 100 years ago, imagining what they want for Ireland in the future and considering ways to remember the children who died during the Easter Rising. On Tuesday, about 50 pupils from primary schools in Louth, Meath and Dublin convened in Collins Barracks, Dublin, to consider these questions.

They were asked to state what they liked about their country, what they didn’t like and what they wanted to change. Some of the answers were broad, with many participants listing the GAA, the sea and the Irish language as “likes”, but others were more specific.

“I love my hair,” said one girl, while another said one of her favourite things about Ireland was shepherd’s pie. The same was true for the dislikes. Bullying, racism and the weather featured prominently but one girl earnestly told her group: “We need a better Eurovision song”.

Meanwhile, Adam Murphy (11) called for fewer taxes. “There’s just too much taxes,” the schoolboy from Lucan said, “like the water bills – water falls from the sky so we shouldn’t pay for it.”

Hiba Al-Marsoomi (10), from Divine Word National School in Rathfarnam, Dublin, said she was concerned about racism, cyber-bullying and homelessness. “In town when you’re just walking around,” she said, “you see a lot of homeless people and I don’t enjoy that because when I go out for Mother’s Day or something, I’m in a fancy gown or something like that and I just see homeless people and I think how much they would like to have some clothes and a house.”

The consultation event is one of six taking place with young people around the State. Minister for Children James Reilly said children and young people have very valuable and useful ideas. “As part of the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme, the report from all six consultations will be presented by some of you to Ministers and decision-makers at a major children’s event in April 2016,” he said.

Also speaking at the meeting, Minister for Heritage Heather Humphreys said the children’s “ideas and their enthusiasm will add greatly to our programme of events for next year”.