Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Ba mhaith liom tagairt a dhéanamh don fhadhb mhór atá sa tír seo i dtaca le daoine óga, idir 18 agus 25, a bhfuil dífhostaithe agus nach bhfuil deiseanna fostaíochta ar bith acu. Níl obair ar bith ar fáil dóibh agus níl aon tacaíocht ar fáil dóibh ó thaobh structhúir de ón Rialtas ach oiread.

Some 62,580 young people between the ages of 18 and 25 years are unemployed and on the live register. Over 4,000 of them come from County Donegal. There has been much talk about what is being done for young people and over the past 48 hours the Government has been quick to point out that it initiated proposals in that regard. However, the cut in the social welfare budget will affect 21,000 young people who are being asked by the Minister to go into education. There are only 3,250 places available so some 18,000 have no additional educational opportunities. If we are talking about policy, we need to be clear on what is being done. The recent OECD report, "Getting Youth on the Job Track", reported that Ireland lacks a youth employment strategy and youth unemployment and youth emigration strategies. We are quick to hop on a plane to Paris and say there is a €6 billion fund available across Europe. That may be the case and Irish Ministers may be quick to claim it but we can only be judged on what we do at home. The Irish Government is only providing €14 million in next year's budget as part of its youth guarantee programme. According to the National Youth Council of Ireland, €273 million is required and the Government is providing only 5% of that. It is a drop in the ocean and it is not dealing with the issue. If they cannot obtain employment, young people are left with no option but to emigrate. I know one parish, Lettermacaward in west Donegal, in which 90% of the people between 18 and 25 years have left under the watch of this Government.