President, Mary McAleese, wrote the following in a letter to YSI to mark its 10th Birthday:

For ten years, your wonderful organisation has been encouraging young people to work to improve their immediate and their wider communities. The young citizens who participate in this programme are those special people who want to make a difference, to get involved and to create a better society. They are people who use their vision, their talents and their energy to make a positive contribution to the world in which they live. The generosity of spirit and the finely tuned social conscience of these young people, who are the leaders and the shapers of the future, provide an optimistic view of the Ireland of tomorrow. Mary McAleese, Uachtaran na hEireann, May 2011

YSI thanks the President for all her support throughout her time in office.