Read our 2023 annual report
Concern's objectives, activities and achievements in 2023 can be found in our new annual report.
Read the report
Knowledge Hub
Evidence-based learning, evaluations, research, guidance, manuals, tools and programme updates.
Programme Stages
The Concern Debates programme runs for several months and is completed over a number of stages. Every year, more than 150 schools take part in our programme which gives students the opportunity to research, explore and then debate some of the defining issues of today.
- From September - December, the League Phase will take place. Each school will have three debates which will take place online.
- In January, the top 64 schools will progress to the Knockout Stages of the programme. The Knockout Stages will continue online.
- In March, the Quarter Finals will take place. These will be held in-person in mid-way venues arranged by the Concern Debates team.
- The Semi-Finals will take place in-person in Dublin in April 2025.
- The Final will take place in the Helix, Dublin on May 1st 2025.
This year, in response to feedback from schools, we are also adding in-person workshops at the end of the League Phase. This will give students a chance to further explore some of the issues they have debated and meet other debaters from different schools. These will take place in several locations around the country.
Get started 
League Table
Please find the final league table below. 64 out of 180 schools have made it to the Knockout Round of the Concern Debates 2024-25 Programme!
Round 1 debates must be scheduled between 13th – 24th January
Other ways to help
Corporate support
Is your company interested in working together for a common cause?
Fundraise for Concern
From mountain trekking to marathon running, cake sales to table quizzes, there are lots of ways you can support our work.
Buy a gift
With an extensive range of alternative gifts, we have something to suit everybody.
Leave a gift in your will
Leave the world a better place with a life-changing legacy.
Volunteer with Concern
The lots of ways to get involved with our work as a volunteer
School fundraising
Without the generous support from schools, we wouldn't be able to do the work that we do.