Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)

We all are concerned about graduates coming out of college and not having employment and we are all anxious to help address this situation. We are examining a series of initiatives in regard to this matter. The internship programme would be a matter for the Department of Education and Skills but my Department and the Department of Social Protection would have an input into that. I have spoken to people in all my units to ascertain how many graduates could be taken into the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. I have asked them to produce a list of the types of graduates who could be offered places. However, one significant difficulty has emerged which has stopped me from proceeding with this initiative. If one is talking about graduates being placed and retaining their unemployment assistance, there is no problem in that instance, but the problem is that for many graduates there will be a cost in getting to work and in being at work.

See this speech in context