Aghabullogue native elected to key European youth political role for Ireland
AN Aghabullogue woman has been elevated to one of the most prominent positions within one of Europe’s largest youth political organisations.
Trainee solicitor Eileen Lynch (28) was elected secretary general to the Youth of European People’s Party ( YEPP) at its recent bi-annual congress in Athens.
The youth wing of the EEP, the European political grouping, of which the Fine Gael party is a member, the organisation has wide-reaching influence across the continent and has more than a million members.
No stranger to the world of politics, Eileen has been active both at local and national level with Fine Gael since 2008. From 20112013 she served as the southern regional organiser for the party’s youth wing as well as secretary and chair of her local branch.
She is a member of the party’s executive council, is the international secretary of young Fine Gael and from 2015-2017 was the financial auditor of the YEPP.
She has also put her name forward as a candidate at the party’s selection convention for the Macroom area ahead of next years local elections.
Ms Lynch said she was “honoured” to be elected to the key role and was keen to see more younger people taking an active role within politics across the continent.
She said it was vital that the organisation provided a voice for the many young people across Europe who had become “disillusioned and disenfranchised” with politics.
“We need to change this. We need to engage more and listen to the issues that are affecting young people. We must talk to people, rather than at them and provide real and tangible solutions to their concerns,” she said.
Ms Lynch said that, given the ongoing issue of Brexit and its potential ramifications for Ireland, it was important that Ireland had a voice at the top of one of Europe’s most influential political youth organisations.
“The 26 EU member states have been extremely supportive of the Irish position in relation to a border with Northern Ireland, and we need to work to ensure this continues,” she said.