Mary Moran (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. Youth unemployment continues to be a main priority of the Government in its efforts to deal with job creation and getting people back to work. At the outset I acknowledge the work of my party colleague, Ms Emer Costello, MEP, who has worked tirelessly on the youth guarantee at the European Parliament. Since taking office, she has relentlessly pursued the issue and was instrumental in bringing forward the youth guarantee. I also commend the Minister, Deputy Burton, for her speech today and for her work and dedication to youth unemployment. Although it was noted otherwise, emigration was referred to.

The Labour Party is taking the youth unemployment issue very seriously and we are committed to finding viable solutions to rectify the problem. Reputable organisations like the National Youth Council of Ireland have strongly welcomed the youth guarantee and I eagerly await the decision at EU level for advanced funding for the pilot initiative to be introduced at Ballymun. The youth guarantee offers the person aged 18 to 24 a job, work experience, apprenticeship, training or combined work and training within a defined period after leaving school or becoming unemployed.

I recognise the programme has issues that must be addressed, and my biggest concern is that the programme is adequately funded. We must also be aware that additional measures to support the youth of Ireland and long-term unemployed young people should be within the guarantee. This problem cannot be solved with one initiative but it will be done through a combination of efforts across all Departments.

The situation will take a multidimensional approach. There has been much talk about youth unemployment and I welcome the opportunity to have this debate and thank my Sinn Féin colleagues for bringing this motion before the House. The Government has taken actions within the action plan for jobs 2013, pathways to work strategies and by prioritising the youth guarantee at European level. I welcome each of these initiatives on the part of the Government but believe we can do more. This problem is seeing our young people leave our shores at such an alarming rate while many who stay face a life of few options and exist on social welfare. As I said previously, I encourage all Departments to work on a cross-departmental basis to find new and further innovations to deal with the problem. I urge the Members of this House to work on a cross-party basis to come up with further motions and ideas where we can move forward. We must not forget to continue to prioritise this at European level after we have passed on the European Presidency. It is important to continue to highlight this and remind our EU colleagues of the difficulties we face in Ireland.

This morning I was listening to the radio and heard a segment from the German ambassador to Ireland and he admitted that for Germany to do well, its neighbours must also do well. Addressing the youth unemployment crisis would be instrumental to our recovery process and the health of our European counterparts. We must be vigilant abroad and I recognise that many of our representatives at European level are already raising the important issue for Ireland. I welcome the opportunity to speak on this extremely relevant and continuing issue. I hope we can build on this debate, work across Departments and parties to ensure the youth guarantee works and we can reduce the rate of youth unemployment.