Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am. I did not expect that. I thank the Chairman. I am due to speak in the Dáil Chamber in a little while. It is always good to listen to the debate before contributing, as we all know. I thank our guests for their presentations. I agree with Deputy Calleary that the European Year of Youth has crept up on us. That is unfortunate because, as we all know, if we were well prepared, we could make the most of it but we are where we are, as they say.

Given we are now towards the end of February, perhaps the committee, Léargas and the NYCI could look at how this committee could play a role in helping to get the word out. Today's meeting is obviously important but I wonder is there anything else we can do. I do not want to speak for the committee but that is just a thought that struck me.

I have one or two questions. I thank our colleagues from Eurofound. I listened to Mr. Kalfin's presentation and he spoke about the Youth Guarantee and how the numbers of people not in employment, education or training, so-called NEETs, had decreased between 2013 and 2019 but obviously with the impact of Covid-19, that trend has been reversed. Before the pandemic, that initiative was obviously a success. Has Mr. Kalfin any information on the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund? The most recent iteration of the fund included NEETs. If, for example, a country was applying to the fund for 250 workers who had lost their jobs, it could include the same number of NEETs. That was a significant change. Has the fund played any role? Perhaps Mr. Kalfin does not have any information on that. It could play a role in the future, given what Mr. Kalfin has told us today.

Mr. McNulty form the NYCI talked about his hopes and expectations for the year. He talked about meaningful engagement, which is obviously important. What does Mr. McNulty see as the practical outcomes of this year? Does the council have any targets? What is it working towards? I will direct the same question to Léargas. What do our guests hope to see at the end of this year or at this time next year as an outcome or outcomes from this year? I recognise we are talking about lowering ring-fenced funding. I think I heard a figure of €143,000 for Léargas, which is tiny money. I am not putting our guests under pressure with this question. I am just asking for their perspectives.

Mr. McNulty also mentioned youth-proofing. He mentioned a youth check, which I presume is the same as youth-proofing, though I am not sure. That sounds a very good idea and a good outcome would be for that to be stitched through policy. Has Mr. McNulty any further thoughts on that?

What do Ms Gilligan and her colleagues in Léargas see as the contribution of the European Solidarity Corps? I was a Member of the European Parliament when we amended the legislation establishing that programme. We had high hopes for it and I wonder how it is working out. Our guests are the people who know how it plays out on the ground.

The issue of climate change was mentioned and this year might be an opportunity for young people to get involved. Do our guests see this year as an opportunity for young people in that regard? Obviously raising awareness is important but are there any practical programmes that people can get their teeth into and through which they can get their hands dirty, as it were? That way, young people could feel they are not just being consulted and informed, important as those things are, but that they are also participants and actors, in the best sense of the word.

I was pleased to hear that this year will be an opportunity for young people who do not see themselves participating in programmes such as Erasmus to get involved. I know from my experience as a teacher and a Member of the European Parliament that Erasmus does not reach those who feel it is not for them, despite the real effort that has been made, which I understand and acknowledge. I was delighted to hear that is part of the programme.

I have rambled a bit but there is a lot of very good stuff here. Perhaps the committee can assist with some of it but that is for another day. I thank our guests again for their presentations. It is nice to have a bit of brightness on a February morning.