Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome SpunOut, the National Youth Council of Ireland, the Union of Students in Ireland and the Mandate Trade Union representatives who are in the Public Gallery. Fine Gael's 2011 manifesto read:

Since the recession took hold three years ago, 300,000 jobs in Ireland – 14% of the total – have been wiped out...As a result of the jobs crisis, the ESRI forecast an additional 100,000 emigrants in the next two years – a higher rate of emigration than occurred even during the depths of the recession in the 1980s.

The major party in government was highlighting that at the time but, unfortunately, since this Government has come to power the percentage of unemployed has dropped 0.9% with a further 266,000 leaving the State. In my county, Laois, unemployment has increased to 8,828 since the Government came to power. Unfortunately, 1,510 of those are under 25. In Kildare 17,425 people are unemployed with a staggering 2,753 aged under 25. A previous speaker mentioned the effects on mental health and I concur that unemployment is having a major effect. Emigration, far from slowing down, has peaked at 89,000 this year from April to April, having increased from 69,000 in 2010. This evening we had a briefing from Ciaran Staunton on the plight of the illegal Irish in the United States. That shows how people are affected by this.

JobBridge has yielded 312 internships in three years in County Laois but for the majority of those it has not led to jobs. Unfortunately, it has led to some displacement. The evidence is clear. That political direction is not working. Some Ministers may claim that people are choosing emigration as a lifestyle but that is not the case. Less than 40% of those leaving say they are leaving as a lifestyle choice. Behind each person who leaves there is a huge family story and personal story.

Despite all the talk, the Government is not providing help for young people. I meet many of these young people. They come in and out of our clinics looking for work experience and begging for jobs. They do not want to be at home sitting in front of flat-screen televisions. It is unfortunate that not only are young people caught in this trap, but that social welfare payments for young men and women under 26 were cut to €100 per week in the budget. This has had a huge effect economically, psychologically and every way for young people caught in this trap. The clear message that went out is that if young people are not happy with that, they can leave. It seems to many people that this cut is simply a means of squeezing out another cohort of young people. This is unfortunate because these are the young people we need to train and get into employment.

The budget only provided an extra €14 million for the youth guarantee. That is not nearly enough. At best, it will provide only 3,250 new labour activation places for those under 25. The National Youth Council has said that a youth guarantee would cost €400 million. Therefore, the Government has allocated less than 4% of what is required. The Government is not adequately focused on providing jobs for young people and that is the reason the youth guarantee is underfunded.

Youth employment must be made a key priority. I appeal to the Government to make it a central plank of its action plan to get young people into employment. Sinn Féin calls on the Government to leave aside the spin and the hype and to try to provide a proper youth guarantee scheme. That will require it to commit up to €400 million, as recommended by the National Youth Council and the International Labour Organization. We advocate a wealth tax and for some of that tax to be ring-fenced for a youth guarantee scheme that would ensure that young people receive an offer of gainful employment or training within four months of becoming unemployed.

I urge the Government to think again about the cut to jobseeker's allowance for those under 26. It is an outrage. Another Member classed it as discrimination. I agree. It is discrimination against these young men and women.

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