Politicians not seen to be representing young people’s interests, survey finds

Having been made homeless with her mother once already when she was just nine years old, Sarah Selfati Harte feared the worst a few years ago when the woman who owned the apartment she and her mother lived in said she wanted sell up.
“We’d been fine there,” she says, “the rent was low and subsidised but suddenly, during my final year in secondary school, we were threatened with homelessness again but then Covid happened and there was the eviction ban. A while later my mother was prioritised for social housing in Smithfield which is where we live now.”
She was, she says, lucky, not just to have avoided another spell relying on wider family for short term accommodation but because particularly supportive teachers at her school, Pobalscoil Neasáin in Baldoyle, helped keep her on track during such a challenging time.
Others will not be as fortunate when a crisis strikes and they need that sort of support because, she says, the required Government supports for young people are not there.
Ms Selfati Harte, who does some volunteering with the National Youth Council of Ireland, was speaking as new research carried out by RedC for the organisation is published. It suggests 82 per cent of the population believe the housing crisis disproportionately impacts young people, restricting their ability, in particular, to live their lives independently of family.
The survey, to be published on Tuesday, found a majority believe politicians are out of touch with the needs of young people and 74 per cent said they feel young people are among the worst hit by increases to the cost of living.
Almost three-quarters of adults said politicians lack an adequate awareness of youth services and supports and just under half of young respondents said those services were poor in their area.
“This polling clearly shows the disconnect between government policies and the real challenges young people face in Ireland today,” says Kathryn Walsh of the NYCI.
“Budget 2025 failed to address critical issues like the housing crisis, rising cost of living, and underfunded youth work services, leaving young people feeling unsupported and overlooked. The next government must prioritise youth work and young people.”
Four years on from her difficult Leaving Cert year, Sarah is in her final year of Law at Trinity, where she is an example of how lives can be positively impacted when young people are helped through their education, she suggests.
“Things have worked out really well for me but we know there are a lot of hidden stories out there where that hasn’t happened,” she says.
“There needs to be more investment in young people, supporting them, in areas like housing, mental health, getting into work and more supports for schools in disadvantaged areas.”