Young people gather in Dublin for conference

Over two hundred young people are gathered in Dublin today for the third annual National Youth Conference.

The theme of the gathering is "active citizenship" and the proceedings were opened this morning by the Taoiseach.

The conference aims to canvass the opinions of young people on national and local issues.

Junior Education Minister Síle de Valera says their input is important in forming policy.

"The fact that young people come to these particular conferences knowing that they have a direct input by way of policy I think sends the right message," she said. "And that's all of what we're all doing today at this conference will be filtered into the Taoiseach's task force that he has set up on active citzenship."