The Youth Advisory Council (YAC) is a group of young people who volunteer to share their experiences as users of hospital services in order to improve the care children and young people receive in the three paediatric hospitals in Ireland. In recent years, the YAC has also fed into the design and delivery of services in the planned new children’s hospital on the St James’s campus, Dublin 8. The YAC meets between five and nine times a year in the Ombudsman’s for Children’s offices, Great Strand Street, Dublin 1. Members of the Council have organised Lunch and Learns to share children’s needs with hospital managers; presented at national conferences and events; and engaged with National Children’s Research Centre about children and young people participating in clinical research.
The Youth Advisory Council (YAC) membership regularly comprises of between 15-20 members, all are or have experience of attending one of the children’s hospitals. The members can be aged between 12-16 years old, and generally represent children from across the four provinces of Ireland.