Kathryn Reilly (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

My initial questions seek to tease out the figures for the costings, after which I will ask some general questions about Mr. McKeon's comments this afternoon.

Tús and Gateway are very similar schemes, with Tús operating in the community sector and Gateway in the local authorities. The table the Department provided seems to indicate that spending on Gateway works out at approximately €5,555 per young person - €2.5 million divided by 450. However, Tús works out at €15,900 per person - €15.9 million divided by 1,000. What is the reason for the difference in the cost?

The table also indicates that the 2014 costing per young person on community employment works out at €28,000. Is that for one year longer? Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh received a reply to a parliamentary question indicating the average cost of a CE place for one year, including income support and all of their costs for items such as training fees and materials, is €13,500. I seek clarification on the difference.

What are included in the costs column on the right hand side of the table? Does that include everything - income support, training fees, materials and administration? Does it reflect full-year costs or only what is expected to be spent in 2014? If so, how would it compare with a full year's costs?

I believe there will be a review of the scheme at the end of 2015. Should a review not be carried out sooner, given that the funding is over 2014 and 2015? Earlier, Mr. McKeon outlined what the Department would be spending in 2014 and 2015. Do we not want to ensure, before the money is spent or allocated, that we are doing everything right? I know Mr. McCormick spoke at the conference in Brussels in April, which I also attended. He used the car analogy to describe the youth guarantee in Ireland, explaining that we were upgrading existing schemes and might be able to do more down the line; I do not want to get into it. To expand on the car analogy, it would be akin to having an NCT but having it too late and not being able to establish if the car is up to scratch.

I wish to deal with JobBridge for disadvantaged youths. This issue has been raised by some youth groups I have met. There is obviously concern about the compulsion involved. How does the Department ensure the positions are suitable for young people? I know the plan makes reference to preparation courses prior to commencement. What will these courses involve? How do we ensure we have good-quality placements? What stage have we reached in the design of that? Mr. McKeon spoke today about mandatory participation. How will the participants be selected for that?

I know the Ballymun pilot is only for people on the live register in that area. The plan does not indicate how it might be extended to people who are not on the live register and who are not perhaps engaging with the public employment services. I ask Mr. McKeon to elaborate on that.

Mr. McKeon mentioned positive discrimination as if legislation to deal with that would be coming up in June. He referred to increasing the number of places on schemes available to, and accessed by, young people and earmarking a quota of opportunities on existing schemes for young people. The Pathways to Work programme states that because young people are getting these places ring-fenced there is a compulsion and they will be penalised if they do not take them up. Does Mr. McKeon foresee problems because some people are being put at a disadvantage, specifically in the cases of ring-fencing, where there is not additionality but it is just the case that these are the places and we will now have a ring-fence around a certain number of them for young people?