Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I have just come from publishing our proposals in regard to the youth guarantee. Honestly, I do not understand what Sinn Féin's problem is with young people getting employment and being facilitated to get employment experience in a situation where, following the bank guarantee, which the Deputy's party supported initially, along with others, this country lost 300,000 jobs. The situation is that the finest people of all ages are locked out of employment, as the Union of Students in Ireland has said. They have good educational qualifications but, because they have no work experience, they cannot get employment.

I simply do not understand why Sinn Féin is not pro-jobs and not pro helping people to get back to work. Up to the end of September 2013, there were an extra 58,000 people at work. That is a really good outcome. With regard to the 25,000 people who have taken up JobBridge internships, I do not know how the Deputy can argue with the fact that more than 60% of those have gone on to get further employment.

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