Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Chairman and the witnesses for coming before the committee today. I will start by asking Mr. Healy about the extraordinary levels of youth unemployment at present. Obviously, it is contributed to significantly by Covid-19 but what role does he see the apprenticeship issue playing in trying to resolve youth unemployment so that we do not have a long-term problem in this country? As I am sure he will appreciate, the most destructive thing that can happen to any economy is that there are high levels of persistent youth unemployment. I would be interested in hearing his views on that and then perhaps Mr. Brownlee’s views on the same issue.