Seanad debates
Thursday, 7 November 2013
Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2013: Report Stage
11:35 am
Feargal Quinn (Independent) | Oireachtas source
Yes.
I move amendment No. 9:
In page 11, between lines 22 and 23, to insert the following:Senator Healy Eames asked me to support her yesterday and I agreed to do so.
"10. The Minister shall, as soon as practicable, lay before each House of the Oireachtas a report on the measures taken to ensure that the €32 million being deducted through reduced social welfare payments for the 18 to 26 year age group would be ring fenced and re-invested in productive targeted education, training and activation measures to maximise young people’s opportunities in this age cohort for work, now and in the future.".
The amendment seeks to ring-fence the money the State will save by reducing the jobseeker's payments to those aged under 26 for education and training programmes for them. It is a sensible, logical and worthy proposal. Money saved on this basis should be spent to encourage, develop and train those who will lose out otherwise. It is worthy of support and I urge the Minister to accept it.
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