Mark Wall (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I agree with and support Senator Chambers's call for clarification on maternity services. I have also received calls in recent days about partners still being obliged to sit in cars, making those phone calls and text messages to loved ones. The Leader has also supported those calls. The HSE has been out but we need clarity and, more importantly, those sitting in cars, sending texts and looking in windows need clarity.

Over recent months I have raised the growing problem of youth unemployment in the House. Recent CSO figures for April paint a very worrying picture. A report in the Irish Examiner last week stated that two thirds of the labour force aged between 15 and 25 years were unemployed last month. It stated that a Covid-19-adjusted measure of the unemployment rate for those in that age group was 61.8%, which was an increase from 58.3% in March. That means 131,098 of young people are unemployed at this time. We should take a moment to digest that figure. While it is important to note those figures include those who are in receipt of the pandemic unemployment payment, PUP, it is vital that we discuss this worrying trend. I ask the Leader to arrange a debate with the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. I raised the issue with him during the recent statements in the House on business and Covid-19. He replied that "The rate of youth unemployment in Ireland is high and we need to act on it." He went on to explain that the figures exclude those in education and training and that the real figure is around 22%, including those who may be in receipt of PUP. He stated that many using the higher figure are misleading. I ask the Leader to arrange a debate in the House on the current levels of youth unemployment. Whatever the correct figure or how it is to be presented, I agree with the Tánaiste that the rate of youth unemployment in Ireland is high and we need to act on it. As, thankfully, we open up the country and the vaccination success continues to speed that up, we must ensure there are jobs for our young people and that there is no exodus of youth to foreign parts as there has been during previous recessions. The Tánaiste mentioned job opportunities from his Department, education and training opportunities from the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science and perhaps some more schemes from the Department of Social Protection. I am sure that many in the House would welcome the opportunity to discuss the issue of youth unemployment with the Tánaiste further and I ask the Leader to facilitate that..