Mr. Paul Jackman:

I mentioned the demographics. We have a CPC card that drivers hold. There is a five-year cycle on that and we see hundreds of drivers leave the sector in Ireland every five years rather than having to go through all of the courses they would have to do. We have just gone through an exodus and we will have another exodus in 2029, which is the next end date of the five-year cycle. We all know drivers who have gotten their CPC cards and say that is their last card and they are done after that one. Again, their ages push them out.

I will make a point which is pertinent and goes back to the previous issue. If we look at the CSO statistics on unemployment, and this is replicated right across Europe, the 16 to 24 age group has the highest rate of unemployment in terms of ratio and in Ireland it is three times the unemployment rate of the groups thereafter. Compared with unemployment in the 25 to 70 age group, the youth group is unemployed at a ratio that is three times higher. Looking at the statistics across Europe, we are looking 8.2 million of our youth who are not in education, employment or training. They are called NEET statistics. In Europe the 16 to 29 year-old age bracket has 8.2 million and that issue needs political will across Europe and in this House to engage with our youth and get them back working because they are not working.