Deirdre Clune (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 1:

To delete all words after ''Seanad Éireann'' and substitute the following:
''notes that:-- the number of people in employment grew by 20,500 in the year ending March 2013, compared with a reduction of employment of 50,100 in the year ending March 2011;
-- the rate of unemployment in Ireland has fallen to 13.7% at the end of Quarter 1 2013, down from 15% in Q1 2012;
-- the number of people unemployed at the end of Quarter 1 2013 is 292,000, down 30,000 on Q1 2012;
-- the number of unemployed young people aged under 25 has fallen by a third to 53,800 since it peaked in 2009, a reduction of 26,800;
-- notwithstanding these positive developments, unemployment, and in particular youth unemployment, remains a serious concern;
-- the Government has prioritised actions to stimulate employment creation and reduce unemployment under the Action Plan for Jobs and Pathways to Work Strategies;
-- the Government has also prioritised Youth Unemployment as an issue to be addressed during Ireland's term as President of the European Union. The European Union has agreed, under Ireland's Presidency, a recommendation for a Youth Guarantee. This recommendation requires each member state to guarantee each unemployed young person under the age of 25 a job, training or education opportunity within 4 months of registration with the employment services;
-- this Youth Guarantee is supported by the allocation of €6bn at EU level under the Multi-annual Financial Framework (MFF);
-- Ireland has applied for advance funding, as part of an EU pilot initiative, to support the implementation of a Youth Guarantee project in Ballymun;and agrees that:
-- the growth in employment and the reduction in unemployment are to be welcomed;
-- the Government should continue in its efforts to further increase employment and reduce unemployment with a particular and urgent focus on youth unemployment, and
-- the implementation in Ireland of the Youth Guarantee agreed under Ireland's Presidency of the EU Council of Ministers should form a pivotal part of the Government's response to the challenge of youth unemployment.''

I reserve my opportunity to speak at a later point in the debate.