The DL on meeting the Minister

Viva, our lovely work experience student, dishes it out.

Image from Lulu Hoeller on Flickr

Engaging with politicians isn't always easy, no matter your age!

This week, representatives of SpunOut.ie were engaged in very intense discussions with the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs about what SpunOut's all about and all the great stuff it's doing for young people in Ireland... ha! Well, that's not how this article is going to go because I'm here to give you the down low on what really went on in a particular discussion room in Leinster House.

Well to begin with, I had no preconceptions of what our meeting with the Minister would be like, I was ready for any situation, happy to represent young people and get my points across.

Cut to the actual meeting: In the meeting room there was the Minister, Francis Fitzgerald, her two advisers, Will (the man who arranged the meeting), our very own Manus Hanratty and Marie Duffy, and yours truly. I don't remember exactly the order of the conversation but it went something like, Manus introducing us and explaining what we're about; Marie talking about her experience with SpunOut; and me speaking whenever I felt was appropriate as “an average young person.”

I'm going to give you my own character analysis of the Minister, as she came across to me. I'll be honest and say I expected her to be a little more interested in me as a young person. I felt like her attitude towards me was more like I was a young child with little understanding of “grown ups business” and no real opinion. It came across as patronising. It didn't feel like she made any effort to involve me in the general flow of the conversation which was mainly dominated with facts and figures about the website and what do we do that sets us apart. I don't at all think this was intentional on her part, I think she is just unaccustomed to relating to young adults in any situation, which is worrying seeing as she is our voice in the government. I understand that her business-like, straight-to-the-point style of conversing is only necessary in such a situation when there is much to be discussed and little time but her abrupt change of tone when she was talking to me made it clear she didn't see me in any way on the same level as the other adults in the room.

I was disappointed with how little she validated that I had an opinion on what they were discussing, after all I am her “target audience.” If I was her I would have used the time to get as much information on today's young people as possible. I finally did butt in towards the end of the meeting and voiced the point that she needs to make herself and the workings of her department more known to us the youth and make sure we know when there is something we can have a say in. Basically we have no idea who she is or what she does and we bloody well should. But even her response to this was along the same lines as what you would say to a child when they show you a drawing looking for your approval and you have to pretend like its beautiful when really you have not a clue what it is. You know the tone I'm talking about? Well that's how she spoke to me. I felt like my (valid) point had been trivialised and she was just trying to make me feel better and like I'd contributed to the conversation in some way.

I totally get how in her head she would think that by raising her eyebrows and smiling encouragingly at me it would make me feel like she was listening and taking in what I was saying but I found it frustrating beyond belief. Maybe she did listen to what I was saying but it didn't at all feel like it, which only reinforces the fact that although she has “a background in social work” she is clearly totally un-used to dealing with teenagers.

She of all people should be putting herself out there and getting right into youth culture, trying to understand us and our needs and what is happening right now. This can not happen when she purely relies on the Chinese whispers that passes from actual teenagers through person after person until it finally reaches her. A watered down version of the truth is no good! Brave the elements and engage with us, we don't bite. Furthermore, you have a formal invitation to my school.

Speaking purely as part of the SpunOut delegation, all dis-satisfaction with the minister aside, the meeting left me feeling indifferent. I hope this feeling is not justified because I want to think that we made an impression on her and her encouraging words weren't just routine. It's hard to tell, although she did accept our gift of the SpunOut “Find Help in Ireland” app and made it clear that the work SpunOut does is of high importance and value. The meeting definitely had a positive sheen to it and things look bright for SpunOut in the future.

Viva Ferguson