Fine Gael ready to woo younger supporters with new social campaigns - and by dropping its Facebook forum

Simon Harris wrote that the report "has not shied away from some of the more pressing issues around Young Fine Gael for example in relation to the age of membership and gender balance."

Ellen Long (20), Ballycommon, Nenagh and Meg Molloy(24), Ballingarry, Thurles both 1st year Politics students at the University of Limerick photographed attending the Young Fine Gael Conference in the Radisson Blu hotel outside Limerick on Sunday. Picture: Liam Burke/Press 22

Fine Gael is aiming to put forward at least two new candidates under the age of 30 in the next general election and move to "carbon neutral" campaigns in a bid to draw a younger support base.

A report compiled by Minister Simon Harris has recommended that membership of Young Fine Gael (YFG) be limited to those between the ages of 15 and 25, this is a dramatic change from the current membership policy which allows anyone up to the age of 35 to join the youth wing of the main government party.

The report also states that the party should aim to grow its youth wing to 2,000 members by next year, this would be done through the rollout of recruitment campaigns, which would be financially supported by party headquarters.

In his forward, Mr Harris admits that the party must adopt "new and different ways" if it is to "truly capture the priorities and imaginations" of younger people.

"We must have candidates which reflect their own current life experience and we must prioritise the issues which matter most to young people.

"This report should mark a new chapter for Fine Gael’s relationship with young people. One where we ensure their voices are heard. One where their views are respected. One where they are empowered to bring about change," he writes.

The report, seen by the Irish Examiner, also places a focus on the need to increase gender balance within the general YFG membership and at the national executive level, it recommends that at least 30% of members are female and at least 30% male.

Mr Harris wrote that the report "has not shied away from some of the more pressing issues around Young Fine Gael for example in relation to the age of membership and gender balance."

With a focus on promoting the party online, the report recommends that a digital media studio is developed at Fine Gael Headquarters to enable the regular production of social media content by new and existing candidates and to support national campaigns including the Front Row series and Policy Lab. This should be in place by June.

However, the document advises that the YFG National Forum on Facebook be discontinued immediately.

In a move to appeal to a younger generation, it has been recommended that Fine Gael takes steps towards carbon-neutral politics and electioneering, such as prioritising social media platforms for communications.