Mr. John Murphy:

On the youth guarantee, the EU brings a total of €6 billion in additional funding to the table, of which €3 billion will be specific to a youth employment initiative. A further €3 billion will be added to the European Social Fund, ESF, budget. The second part of the €6 billion must be matched nationally at a 50:50 rate.

That sounds like a large amount of money but it is not when one considers the number of unemployed young people across the European Union.

There is a reference in the youth guarantee that it will focus on the regions where youth unemployment is particularly high and Ireland would qualify. A number of member states in the European Union have significantly higher rates of youth unemployment, particularly Spain and Italy. As I said earlier, the Department of Social Protection plays the lead role and the Department of Education and Skills plays a significant role when one examines the full range of policies and measures that address further training and education for young people. In the context of the youth guarantee that means people aged between 18 and 25 and there is quite a range of policies involved. The Department of Children and Youth Affairs also plays a role. My Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation also has a role and works closely with those Departments. It tries to ensure, to the greatest extent possible, that there is a role for enterprise whether in traineeship programmes or any other initiatives that might be rolled out. We are anxious to ensure that we get industry and enterprise generally actively involved in these programmes.

I do not know the precise timescale for this initiative but there is work under way between interdepartmental groups. I expect that the Minister for Social Protection will want to return the matter to Government in the autumn. I expect that the Cabinet committee system will be used. If so, it would enable us to adopt the programme which needs to be adopted by the end of the year and would mean that we could maximise and draw down funds.

Another important dimension of the youth guarantee is that it is frontloaded for 2014 and 2015. Is that right Mr. Cullen? Does wish to add anything on the matter?