Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Tánaiste and his officials. I have three questions. I obviously welcome the youth guarantee but am ever mindful that we cannot see it as a panacea for all our ills in respect of youth unemployment. The economist and Nobel Laureate Professor Christopher Pissarides was the person who made me think about this when he visited the Seanad some time ago. I am a bit nervous because he did not see it as good value for money. The Tánaiste might clarify whether every person is offered an internship or a training place after four months or for four months. If it is for four months, it is clear that it is not adequate. I know we are not relying completely on it. The compact for growth and jobs is bigger than that. However, we need to make sure that given the sum of €6 billion, we are getting good value for money and that it is not just something to appease people in the short term because it is too much money not to make good use of.