Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Commission's ability to fund more initiatives in the youth unemployment area will depend on the European Social Fund budget. However, it is clearly Commissioner Andor's intention that there will be a shift in emphasis towards youth unemployment and youth guarantees. That is the implication of what he is seeking to do.

With regard to the domestic economy, I take Deputy Wallace's point. For a start, FÁS became solely focused on apprenticeships within the construction sector whereas the reality, if one examines the German and other successful continental European markets, is their apprenticeships models have a much broader industrial base. The EU is seeking to promulgate the building of a wider base of apprenticeships for member states. The role of SOLAS and the reorganised VECs will be in this area and the Deputy ought to table a question in this regard to the Minister for Education and Skills.

On the wider issue of the strategy for tackling unemployment raised by Deputy Clare Daly, we all know about financial constraints on the Government. However, within that, there are a number of strands in the strategy. One element is to make financial consolidation, which is essential, more job friendly. For example, selling old assets in order to invest in new assets is a way of becoming more dynamic. Examining the establishment of funds to exploit through NewERA and infrastructure can drive potential. Equally, the action plan for jobs considers how to get the whole of Government to move to a more pro-employment area. Pathways to Work, from the Minister for Social Protection, is about identifying those who are disadvantaged in the labour market and seeking to support them to give them an opportunity to take up employment. It involves many Ministers other than me but that is the basic approach.

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