By Aoife Mullen
DCU Young Fine Gael’s (YFG) motion calling on the government to bring forward legislation allowing gay couples to adopt has been adopted by the National Executive.
DCU YFG attended the 25th annual Young Fine Gael conference in Tullamore last weekend, where their motion on gay adoption was almost unanimously supported by members.
DCU YFG plan to put pressure on the senior party to adopt the policy at the Fine Gael Ard Fheis, which will take place next month in the Convention Centre, Dublin.
They were also responsible for a motion calling on the government to re-negotiate the Croke Park Agreement to eliminate non-performance based increments and to protect low-income earners in the public sector, while tackling high-income earners.
The branch also had a motion similar to Kilkenny YFG’s motion proposing the 1989 Incitement of Hatred Act be updated to include provisions relating to social media and social networking. Both motions were passed.
YFG National Conference sees YFG branches and members from around the country come together to debate issues affecting the youth of Ireland, such as student fees and social issues.
As an autonomous body, it allows the organisation to challenge Fine Gael on it’s own policies and decisions and offer it’s own solutions. An example would be YFG’s opposition to Fine Gael’s plan to abolish the Seanad.
Members were addressed by An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny and Minister for Transport, Sport and Tourism, Leo Varadkar, who both called on YFG to continue to be the “conscience of Fine Gael” and to challenge the senior party and the government when they felt necessary.
The conference was also attended by a number of Fine Gael TDs and councillors and Minister of State for European Affairs, Lucinda Creighton.
MEP Mairead McGuinness opened the event and Minister for Children Frances Fitzgerald was also present at the event.
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