Ms Cora Horgan:

I will be very brief. To respond to Deputy Ryan's question, there are some jobs out there but we have found that because it is a locally-based solution, they are willing to create opportunities within their businesses for young people. It is then up to young people to prove themselves and to create a permanent space for themselves. We have also had a number of smaller firms in Tipperary who, because of their participation in this scheme and their general development, have new and upcoming opportunities and they will go for the devil they know rather than the devil they do not know. If they have worked with somebody already through a scheme, they will make those opportunities available to that person in the first instance.

Deputy Griffin asked about young people taking up jobs. Young people have to be convinced of the merits of taking up employment and of the benefits of work experience to their curriculum vitae. That might go some way towards cancelling out the costs of taking up work or work experience, particularly when they are not getting additional supports. Sometimes we underestimate the enthusiasm and eagerness of our young people to get work.

Finally, local employment services and jobs clubs do exist and are certainly an avenue for providing opportunities for young people, via the youth guarantee. However, there must be other responses too. Some of those responses may need to be softer because we are dealing with young people who are under 25 and who have a different set of needs to older unemployed people.