Ms Bríd O'Brien:

We attended a meeting with officials from the Department of Social Protection earlier today. One of those in attendance noted that one particular hardware provider used older employers because it found that customers tended to trust older employees as they were more likely to know which piece of equipment customers might need for do-it-yourself jobs. Having said that, we are aware that access to employment for younger unemployed people is also a major issue. We face a range of challenges around the issue of unemployment.