The Government has allocated €170,000 for the “All Right, All Night” campaign to develop a series of training workshops and education programmes aimed at young people.
These workshops will attempt to promote respect and inclusivity by allowing participants to hear about different lived experiences, according to an announcement on 19 September.
The focus of the campaign is to make socialising at night a safer experience for all, this new national initiative for 16-24 year-olds hopes to tackle violence and promote positive intervention.
Galway City Central Councillor Eibhlín Seoighthe has spoken about the campaign.
“I think it’s fantastic. There can only be advantages to this surely,” said Cllr Seoighthe. “This is something students right across the country should be patting themselves on the back for coming up with.”
This initiative has been developed in response to the publication of the “Report of the Night-Time Economy Taskforce” in 2021 which detailed the issue of public safety, and suggested ways to support and enhance safety measures.
Two workshops held in 2022 in partnership with the Department of Children, Equality, Diversity, Integration and Youth (D/CEDIY) and the National Participation Office, offered young people a platform where they could discuss issues and suggest improvements on the Night-Time Economy.
The young people pointed out that the risks of harassment and assault are considerable barriers when it comes to enjoying night-time activities, and specifically mentioned that the “UCC Bystander Training Programme”, led by Professor Louise Crowley, available in some third level colleges should be more accessible.
“All Right, All Night” focuses on teaching young people how to safely intervene when unwanted and unwarranted behaviour is witnessed on a night out, or even within a friend group.
Cllr Seoighthe noted that “it is students that help shape and mobilise society, and they’re more in tune with what’s happening, as it’s happening,
“I think intervention is necessary. If you’re on the receiving end of behaviour like that, it can be paralysing and shocking, and you don’t know what to say or do in that moment, so intervention is needed.”
Age Range
While the initiative focuses on young people aged 16-24, Councillor Seoighthe mentioned the possibility of extending the age range.
“Is it that we’re uncomfortable speaking about it? It happens to more than just students, to people in all walks of life. In some areas there are definitely people working in a society where certain behaviours have been normalised and accepted and those behaviours aren’t being accepted anymore.
“It’s not just the youth that should take responsibility. Age doesn’t matter when it comes down to this type of thing, it can happen at any point in life. The intervention needs to be there, something needs to be said, because otherwise the behaviour continues.”
Read more on the campaign here