Ireland's youngest largest town seems as good as place as any to find out what issues are on the minds of young people ahead of the Budget.
The residents of Balbriggan, on the north Co Dublin coast, had an average age of 33.6 years, according to data from the last census.
At 17 and 18, the students who have gathered in a bright, colourful classroom at Bremore Educate Together Secondary School are even younger.
But any preconceptions I may have had about their interest in the Budget prove unfounded.
Housing, the cost of living, public transport, the climate crisis, hospital waiting lists, mental health services and sports facilities are among an array of issues which they bring up.
"The housing crisis is a big topic but I don't think people really understand the impact it's having on the younger generation. All of us are sitting the Leaving Cert and we're thinking how are we going to afford student accommodation, going to college, and having a house after we finish our degrees," explains Aiobh Reddy, 17.
Aiobh is sitting next to Vasik Cervenka.
Vasik is originally from Slovakia, but he has been living in Ireland for more than 15 years.
He also pinpoints housing as a hot topic, particularly when it connects to immigration.
"People are coming into the country and finding it hard to find accommodation. My family were lucky, but others aren't. Knowing that they don't have a roof over their head, makes me feel very sorry," he says.
Like Vasik, other pupils are keen to highlight issues which directly affect their lives.
Holly Wright cites concerns about the costs of going to college, while Molly Dowdall-Killeen says tackling hospital waiting lists needs to be a priority.
"I honestly feel failed by the public health sector. I have been on waiting lists for orthopaedics and it is incredibly frustrating, just being told you have to wait. It feels like you are not being listened to. There's been a hospital beds crisis since 2006 and that was the year I was born!"
Meanwhile, Natasha Lotsi wants to see more investment in youth mental health services.
"I do feel mental health isn't being talked about enough. There should be more services for everyone, no matter how old you are," she says.
Two other pupils, Jesse Makris and Ryan Browne, say funding for sports facilities should be prioritised.
"Sport is a great way for us to express ourselves and get out the house," explains Ryan. "I think it's great for our mental health to get that break."
"Putting in more facilities into local communities will give people like myself more opportunities to express ourselves. It will massively benefit young people and the future of the country," adds Jesse.
It's not just Ireland's future that's troubling Joe Noonan.
He also wants to see more done to protect the planet.
"We need more development around green energy," he tells me. "There are a lot of first steps being taken, but over the next few years I'd like to see a lot more development of different energy sources and public transport schemes."
Better public transport is also highlighted as an area which would "benefit a lot of people" by Luke Daly-Coady.
Sevastian Zvanbergs even suggests an idea to help achieve that aim.
"I'd like to see the Leap Card system be available across the whole of Ireland, and not just restricted to certain regions. It's not connected as it could be," he says.
830 pupils attend Bremore.
"I think what the pupils have told you today, we see every day," explains principal, Kathy Jones. "They have been impacted by things like the homeless crisis - through no fault of their own. So, it's important that they have a voice about things that will affect them now and in the future. They are very well informed and they really do want to be heard.
"I think the more we listen to young people, the more enriched we become as a society."
As I say my goodbyes to the students, I'm reminded that many of them will have a further opportunity to exercise their views on society's big issues over the coming weeks or months.
Some of the 18-year-olds in the class have registered to vote for the first time.
Saoirse Collins has this advice for anyone looking for their votes.
"I think it's extremely important that we're listened to. We are the future of Ireland," she says.
