Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

There are courses for everybody. There are more courses available throughout the country than ever before. We will work with the Department of Education and Science to ensure priority is given to 18 year olds and 19 year olds. We would like to see them doing courses that would lead to them getting skills that would help them to get jobs. That is what is behind the Youthreach programme. Many young people, especially those who left school early, have not completed their leaving certificate and there is a great incentive for them to do that.

On the one hand it might seem harsh that one is just cutting the payment for 18 year olds and 19 year olds but it is important to remember that it is only for new claimants. It is not as if those people have got used to receiving €204 per week and suddenly they are on €100. Getting €100 per week provides a great incentive for a young person to go and do something better for himself or herself.