Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

The intergovernmental treaty finalised last Monday included a statement from the European Council on growth, consolidation and job creation. It concluded much more needed to be done to deal with the crisis, particularly the jobs crisis. The Europe 2020 strategy was mentioned and each member state is to set out its national jobs plan.

We have yet to see a national jobs plan here even though the Government has announced, according to ISME, the Irish Small and Medium Enterprises Association, its pending publication nine times. This must be set against the promise at the time of the general election of 100,000 jobs coming from NewERA and also the famous jobs fund that was to be set up in a strategic investment bank.

We know we have a major problem in this country with youth unemployment and youth migration. Will the Government set up a national youth employment fund, similar to that in the UK and other EU countries? When will the Government publish its plans on how to address unemployment? Has it agreed to utilise the European Stability Fund, ESF, to support more apprenticeship programmes for young business start-ups?

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