Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

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In order to incentivise young people to avail of training and education opportunities and to prevent their becoming welfare-dependent from a young age, changes have been made to the jobseeker's allowance. This decision is not discriminatory but rather a targeted measure aimed at protecting young people from welfare dependency.

It was the Deputy's colleague, former Minister Mary Hanafin in reply to Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh in April 2009. It is to give people a better opportunity, which so many young people are taking up. As we roll out the youth guarantee we will call in every young person under 26 years of age and over a period of time, particularly the people who are very hard to reach. There are people who left school early, went on social welfare, maybe got small bits of work but nothing that would constitute a well-paid job that would allow them to be financially independent. In the Ballymun pilot scheme young people are responding very positively to the engagement with our officials and people who are essentially helping to develop a life plan and go back into work and education. They get significantly more money as a consequence.

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