Young Fine Gael
President	Patrick Molloy
Founded	1977
Headquarters	51 Upper Mount Street, Dublin 2
Mother party	Fine Gael
European affiliation	Youth of the European People's Party
Website	www.yfg.ie

Young Fine Gael (YFG) is the autonomous youth wing of the major Irish political party Fine Gael. It offers its members scope to assist in formulation of political policy, and the day to day running of the senior party. It is a founding member of the Christian Democratic centre-right pan-European organisation, Youth of the European Peoples Party, which is the youth wing of the European Peoples Party. YFG's constitution however allows for the organisation to act on its own, independent from its parent party, enabling it to promote its own political objectives.

  History

Young Fine Gael was formed in 1977 as part of the internal reforms to Fine Gael instigated by Garret FitzGerald, who had become leader of the party that same year.^[1] They grew rapidly with over 100 local branches of YFG being formed by 1978. During the 1980s they pursued a fairly liberal agenda, supporting the repeal of Ireland's homosexuality laws; a ban on the state funding on single-sex schools; and greater family planning options. Nowadays there is a broad range of political viewpoints held by members, ranging from centrist and social-democratic to the more conservative.

At its most recent national conference, it carried motions supporting the Fine Gael position on making Irish optional in the Leaving Cert, to allow gay couples to adopt, to introduce a cap on welfare payments at the average industrial wage, and for a complete renegotiation of the promissory note requiring the state to pay the debts of Anglo-Irish bondholders.

  Organisation

YFG is organised at a national level by its National Executive, elected at National Conference, held every 16–22 months; by regional councils, currently based on European Parliament constituencies; and locally by branches. Committees may also be established at a national level, accountable to the National Executive. Officers of all units work with the Fine Gael National Youth Officer, Sarah O'Connor, who is based in party headquarters.

  Executive

The last Conference took place in Tullamore, Co. Offaly, 17–19 February 2012, with the following elected to the executive. The President, the Vice President and the first candidate elected on the panel sit on the Executive Council of Fine Gael.

• President: Patrick A. Molloy
• Vice President: Carol Madigan
• Third Executive Council, Secretary: Bernard Aherne
• Director of Policy: Frankie Mulqueen
• Director of Communications and Campaigns: Rob O'Sullivan
• Regional Reform: Timmy Eoin O'Sullivan
• North West Regional Organiser: D. J. Kelly
• Lenister Regional Organiser: MJ Murphy
• Dublin Regional Organiser: Dale McDermott
• Munster Regional Organiser: Eileen Lynch

  Branches

The basic unit of organisation in Young Fine Gael is the branch. These are organised in every constituency in the country. YFG also has prominent branches in each of the country's third level institutions to provide a forum to interested students in areas of political discussion, policy, debate and social activities.

  International Committee

Young Fine Gael's (YFG) International Committee deals with all of YFG's international relations and foreign policy. It is also responsible for the development and maintenance of relationships with other youth political parties worldwide, particularly those in the European Union. YFG is a founding member of the Youth of the European People's Party (YEPP), the youth organisation of the European People's Party. YEPP is Europe's largest youth political organisation, bringing together 57 member organisations from 39 countries. Colm Lauder, the Deputy Secretary General of YEPP, is a member of YFG. Julie O'Leary is the current YFG International Secretary, with Cillian Ryan as Deputy International Secretary.

  Recent National Campaigns

• Homeless Solidarity Campaign (2003 & 2004). Sleep-outs in Dublin, Cork and Limerick to raise awareness of Irelands' homelessness problem. ^[2]
• Better Deal for Young Drivers (2003): To campaign for action on road safety, motor insurance for young drivers and reform of the diver education/testing system. This campaign included 20 public meetings nationwide and a local media and internet publicity drive.
• Housing Tax Campaign (2004): Nationwide petition campaign to raise awareness of the government's excessive tax take on new homes for first-time buyers.
• Talk! Campaign (2005): To raise awareness of Mental Health and Suicide ^[3]
• Voter Registration Campaign (2006): To encourage Youth Participation in Politics
• Lisbon Treaty Campaign (2008): Campaign to seek a Yes vote in the Irish referendum on the Lisbon Treaty. ^[4]
• Get Ireland Back to Work Campaign 2010: To raise awareness of Fine Gael's policies on job creation including New Era & Hope for a Lost Generation, policies drafted in response to the financial crisis and recession.

  Publications

YFG operates an online ezine, The Informer. YFG's International Committee also publishes a bi-annual journal, The Vulcan.

  Notable Incidents

In 2008, Young Fine Gael was accused of being "cheap and sexist" by Finian McGrath, TD, after it published pro-Lisbon Treaty posters. The first depicted a scantily clad male model in a tight pair of EU boxer shorts with the words "Enlarge your opportunities" emblazoned across them. The second poster showed a young woman holding a pair of melons close to her chest with the slogan "Increase your prospects." Mr. McGrath said he considered the campaign ""tacky and childish" and accused YFG of attempting to degrade the seriousness of the debate.^[5]

  See also

• Fine Gael

  References

  External links

• Young Fine Gael
• Fine Gael
• UCC Young Fine Gael
• NUI Maynooth Young Fine Gael
• UCD branch of Young Fine Gael
• UL Young Fine Gael
• WIT branch of Young Fine Gael