About Planet Youth
There are currently three Planet Youth pilot sites operating in Ireland. They are Planet Youth Galway, Planet Youth Mayo and Planet Youth Roscommon. These five-year pilot programmes have been initiated and developed by the Western Region Drug and Alcohol Task Force (WRDATF) with the support of partner agencies in the region. Local steering committees have been established for each of the pilot sites and these consist of funders and strategic partners, all of whom are committed to the development of Planet Youth in the region.
Planet Youth is an international evidence-based primary prevention model, developed by the Icelandic Centre for Social Research and Analysis (ICSRA) at Reykjavik University. It was initially developed in order to reduce substance use rates amongst young people. The model uses a whole population approach and offers the opportunity to improve health and life outcomes for young people in many areas. It works by directly targeting the risk and protective factors that determine their substance use behaviours and enhancing the social environment they are growing up in. By reducing the known risk factors and strengthening the known protective factors the problems associated with adolescent substance use can be reduced or stopped before they arise.
- Evidence-based practice
- Using a community-based approach
- Creating and maintaining a dialogue between research, policy and practice
In Iceland the model has produced great results through having a consistent focus on local community work, cross-disciplinary collaboration and investment.
The Planet Youth approach is based on five principles that provide guidance on how the community intervention process should be implemented.





Risk and Protective Factors
Within the Planet Youth approach, the risk and protective factors are defined within four major domains of intervention: parents and family, leisure time and local community, peer group and school.
These domains are encompassed by the overall social environment and further influenced by regional and national context and policies.

Data
The model is underpinned by data derived from the administration of the Planet Youth questionnaire. This comprehensive lifestyle questionnaire is administered to the 15-16 year olds in the target community and it examines a great many aspects of their lives. There are questions on their substance use, health, mental health, physical activity, family and school experience, internet use, bullying etc. There are 77 questions in total in the current Planet Youth questionnaire.
The data from the survey is analysed and presented with the goal of providing each community with the information that will enable them to develop data-driven interventions designed to address selected risk and protective factors. Additionally, the full dataset from the survey is supplied to the community for research purposes and for use in designing responses to other issues identified within the data. This is decided upon by the local community. The Planet Youth data allows the opportunity to improve the health and wellbeing of young people and to improve the social environment they are growing up in.
Additionally, each school of sufficient size that takes part in the survey is provided with a copy of their own school report that gives an insight into the general health and wellbeing of their pupils, together with some other factors of interest at the school level.
The overall vision of Planet Youth is that all young people are active, healthy and happy, connected to their families and communities, and achieving their full potential.
Meet The Team
The coordinator for the Planet Youth project is Emmet Major.
The team at the WRDATF that have worked on the development of the Planet Youth project to date are Michéal Durcan, Patrick Conway, Gary Kyne, Gillian Conway, Neil Wilson, Liam O’Loughlin and Orla Walshe.
The steering committees members are listed below:
GALWAY
Michael Smyth
Independent Chairperson
Michéal Durcan
HSE / WRDATF
Emmet Major
WRDATF / GRETB
Irene Murphy
Youth Work Ireland Galway
Caitriona Morgan
Galway City Council
Linda Potter
Galway County Council
Morgan Mee
CYPSC
Susan Forde
Tusla
Paul Frecklington
ARD Family Resource Centre
Sara Ní Chuirreáin
GRETB
Declan Brassil
Galway City Partnership
Bernadine Brady
NUI Galway
Dr. Diarmuid O’Donovan
NUI Galway
Sarah Simkin
Jigsaw
James Applegate
GRD
Cliona Ní Neill
Our Lady’s College
Mayo
Dr Mark Garavan
Independent Chairperson
Michéal Durcan
HSE / WRDATF
Patrick Conway
SWMDC / WRDATF
Breda Ruane
MSLETB / Mayo Youth Network
Siofra Kilcullen
Mayo County Council
Siobhan Duane
Tusla
Peader Gardiner
Mindspace Mayo
Martin Greaney
HSE
Siobhan Mc Brearty
HSE
Gary Walsh
An Garda Síochána
Charlie Lambert
Mayo Sports Partnership
Jarlath Munnelly
CYPSC
Cormac Hanlon
MSLETB
Roscommon
Ciaran Mullooly
Independent Chairperson
Emmet Major
WRDATF / GRETB
Eamon Hannon
HSE
Mary McGrath
HSE
Paul Connaughton
Foróige
Sarah Brennan
Vita House
Davnet McEllin
GRETB
Fiona Ni Chuinn
Roscommon County Council
Caroline Duignan
CYPSC
Linda Sice
Roscommon Leader Partnership
Padraic Burke
An Garda Síochána
Eileen Ryan
Castlerea Community School
Georgina Kilcoyne
Tusla