Mary White (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will conclude on this point. Germany has 342 recognised apprenticeships, ranging from bankers to opticians. Ireland has just 29. The Minister is talking about presenting an Irish plan for youth unemployment to the EU and seeing how we will get on. I am saying that he should develop a relationship with companies immediately to ensure that young people are given work experience. Rather than paying them unemployment benefit for six months before they can get a job, we should encourage companies to take them on so they can learn on the job. The Government would then compensate such companies for the money they would pay to young people. How can they learn-----