Kathryn Reilly (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

As mentioned by other Senators this afternoon, European leaders are meeting in Paris to finalise the youth guarantee. We all know that the Government announced €14 million in funding for this. Last year the ILO, in a document based on studies of job creation policies across Europe, estimated that the youth guarantee would cost €21 billion in the eurozone. The EU announced that it would provide €6 billion, which was increased to €8 billion, for the youth guarantee. The ILO said that it would cost Ireland €347 million, without administration costs, to implement the guarantee, but Ireland has allocated only 4% of the ILO's recommendation. I acknowledge that the EU has only allocated 38% of the ILO's recommendation, but Ireland should at least match that figure by giving €131 million. It is important to remember in any discussion on the youth guarantee that Ireland can recoup up to 66% of its investment. The ILO has said that the figures are modest when one considers how much youth unemployment and emigration will cost the economy and society. Therefore, I support Senator Bacik's call to arrange a discussion on the youth guarantee, with the Minister for Social Protection in attendance, as soon as possible. It is important for us to debate the substance of the youth guarantee's implementation plan.

Last week, in a response to a parliamentary question tabled by my colleague Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin, the Department stated that the OECD, which is working with the Government on the implementation plan, will submit a report to Government at the end of the month. The Government will then examine the report and will submit its plan to the Commission by the end of December. I want us to hold a discussion on the OECD document after it reaches the Government but before the Government submits its plan in December. It is important for us to discuss the substantive implementation issues, given that the OECD has met stakeholders and carried out a wide range of research on the matter and is examining international best practice on how to implement the youth guarantee.

The reply to the parliamentary question further stated that the Government had not decided whether to publish its plan, which is worrying. I call on the Department and the Minister to make sure the plan is finalised, published and made available to the Houses of the Oireachtas to allow us to openly discuss it.

With regard to discussions at the summit today, I remind Members that Angela Merkel urged member states to boost employment among the young on 3 July. Recently, the Minister with responsibility for this area, Deputy Richard Bruton, launched a submission on the Action Plan for Jobs 2014 that comprised seven key themes, but youth employment was omitted. I urge him to make youth employment one of the plan's key priorities, given that it is so important. The USI, the ICTU and the ISSU called for a youth jobs strategy in their document Locked Out, while our own Joint Committee on European Union Affairs called for a section of the next jobs plan to be dedicated to youth employment.

I have a brief question. Can the Leader let us know when the Protected Disclosures Bill, also known as the whistleblower legislation, will return to the House for Report Stage?