Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I should make a general point about a number of questions as Senators can be helpful. There is a decreasing rate of youth unemployment, which is fantastic. One of the difficulties is that areas like retail and entry-level jobs dry up in a recession, so as the economy recovers, some of those sectors again have openings and young people can get such entry-level jobs. Employers have an enormous role to play and unless employers in Ireland see themselves as part of the system responsible for including young people in getting back to work, we will not get many people back in employment.

Unlike the countries referenced by many people, such as Finland, Austria and Germany, our society tends to have the understandable singular focus on celebrating people who achieve a third level education place.