Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Taoiseach for his reply. The question is on the Pathways to Work and young people in particular to which I hope to get further answers. In budget 2014 the Government stated that €14 million would be provided to roll out a youth guarantee scheme in the coming months. That is aimed at providing guaranteed access to work, training and education for any young person out of work for four months. I put it to the Taoiseach that is about €211 per person under the age of 25 currently on the live register. Does the Taoiseach have a starting date for when the youth guarantee will come into operation? Also, will he respond to the fact that live register figures show that during 2012, 41,000 people under the age of 25 were without work for four months or more but during that same timeframe, the figures show a total of only 18,000 training, education and work experience opportunities available for young welfare recipients?

In September 2013, 66,183 young people under the age of 25 were on the live register. How many training places will be provided for those young people? The Department of Social Protection has said it is too early to say how many opportunities will be available but it was likely to be significantly up on the 18,000 estimated for 2012. The National Youth Council of Ireland has estimated that approximately €273 million would be necessary to implement the youth guarantee model in Ireland along the lines of the successful Swedish model. The Minister, Deputy Burton, has pledged that the guarantee would direct young people into good quality work, training and educational opportunities for young people and that JobBridge, the national internship scheme, along with other welfare supports, would be drawn upon to facilitate that.

Will the Taoiseach accept that the fund as it is now is not adequate? A sum of €14 million euro will go nowhere near meeting the needs of over 66,000 young people under the age of 25 to get guaranteed access to employment, training or education. I refer to the change to the vocational training opportunities scheme, VTOS, in the current budget and the ongoing restrictions in the back to education scheme. For example, from next year if one wants to become a teacher the old H.Dip is going. One needs a Master's education degree now to get the vocational qualification that would qualify one to teach. That will not be covered under the back to education allowance. It is this mismatch in policy and the lack of joined-up thinking between different schemes that will further militate against the success of any guarantee scheme. If the figure is only €14 million it is will go nowhere near providing the opportunities for young people that are so desperately needed. I ask the Taoiseach to indicate in his reply if there will be an increase on that figure or is he satisfied that the requisite number of places will be made available?

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