A WEXFORD Senator has lamented the loss of 'rights of passage' for young people in Ireland due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Senator Malcolm Byrne yesterday addressed the Seanad, saying young people do not want to "sit at home with their mam and dad watching television" on the weekend, and told his fellow Senators they were lucky to have the freedom they did in their youth.
Teenagers and young people are missing out on "important rights of passage", he said: "When we went to nightclubs and yes, when we got the shift, when we got into a relationship and when we learned about ourselves ... those things all make people smile but they were important rites of passage".
"A whole generation of young people is now in danger of losing all that."
According to The Irish Independent, the former Fianna Fáil TD referenced a new report by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs in collaboration with SpunOut, which noted that young people had become "anxious, isolated and worried" due to the pandemic and the restrictions that come with it.
Much of the things that young people take part in, such as gyms, nightclubs and sporting activities have been restricted or closed, and called for extra support for those affected.
"We can never make it up to those young people," he said, "but we must ensure they have support."
He noted that extra supports have been given to those in second and third level education with regards to their mental health, but additional help should be supplied.
Nightclubs have been closed since mid-March this year, and while pubs can reopen if Ireland returns to Level 2, there is no word on when Nightclubs will open their doors again.
See More: Malcolm Byrne, Nightclubs, Seanad, Young People
