Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)

The statistics for 31 December 2009 show that the numbers signing on the live register stood at 423,600 and that of these, 84,398, or 19.9%, were people under the age of 25.

The Government is committed to tackling unemployment, including youth unemployment. In successive budgets, we have allocated substantial additional resources to provide increased training and education and work experience places for the unemployed. My Department will provide approximately 147,000 training and work experience places this year, primarily through FÁS. This compares to the 66,000 places that were delivered in 2008 and the 130,000 places delivered last year. Around 30,000 trainees, or 36% of those who participated on the FÁS training programmes in 2009 came from the under 25 age group. FÁS training provision for those who are under 25 will remain a priority for 2010.

For early school leavers, the main specific provision continues to be training at community training centres and VECs under the Youthreach programme. There are currently 6,000 places available nationwide under the Youthreach umbrella. The programme is directed at unemployed young early school leavers aged 15 to 20. The programme provides basic skills and work experience, while facilitating early school leavers with opportunities to acquire certification and progress to further training or employment.

Another initiative is the work placement programme, which prepares the unemployed for future job opportunities. This programme is aimed at providing nine-month work experience placements to the unemployed. The programme consists of two streams each consisting of 1,000 places. The first stream is for graduates and the second stream is for all others, with 250 places ring-fenced for those under 35 years of age. The response to this programme has been disappointing, and we have asked FÁS to prioritise its promotion during 2010.

In addition to the range of training and work experience measures, the Government introduced certain initiatives in the recent budget to encourage people under 25 into education or training.

Additional information not provided on the floor of the House. The Government decided that unemployment benefit will be reduced to €100 per week for those aged under 23 and to €150 per week for those 23 and 24 years of age. However, should these individuals participate in full-time education, training and work experience programmes, then they will receive the full normal weekly allowance of €196. Along with this decision, an initiative was put in place to activate immediately 18 to 19 year olds, instead of waiting the usual three months for this automatic activation.

The budget also announced a new labour market activation fund, which will be for innovative proposals over and above mainstream training provision for the unemployed. This activation fund will focus training on the low skilled and those in structural unemployment, including those formerly employed in the construction, retail and manufacturing sectors. Priority will be given to those under 35 years of age and the long-term unemployed. It is expected that the fund will provide at least 3,500 training places this year. A call for proposals will issue shortly, and this is expected to lead to increased education and training provision this year and to assist young people currently unemployed.

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