Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister. I am delighted to hear the report is finally finished. The Minister will probably understand why we are sceptical in that we have not been given any date as to when we will get the report. I will go through the list of occasions on which the report was asked for. My colleague, Deputy Brady, has consistently asked the Minister when the report, committed to in Pathways to Work, will be printed. He asked about it every single time he had a session of questions, and he asked the Minister's predecessor in 2016. The report was due to be published in mid-2016. The Minister says she has it now. I urge her to pass it on to Deputies as soon as possible. She needs to commit to a time and date in this regard.

In June 2016, the then Minister, the Taoiseach, Deputy Leo Varadkar, said a report would be published later in the year. In May 2017, it was said it would be published that year. In February, April, September and October of this year, the Minister told my colleagues it would be completed shortly. Last year, she told the Joint Committee on Employment Affairs and Social Protection that the report was practically ready. Where is it? When will it be published? I understand it is now ready so I would like a publication date.

In budget 2020, the Minister deliberately introduced a new condition for those between 18 and 24, allowing the full rate to be payable only when they are living independently and in receipt of State support. The Minister did this purposely to exclude the majority of young jobseekers. It benefits only around 300 individuals between 18 and 24.

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