Erin McGreehan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Following the ESRI announcement this morning highlighting the difficulties being experienced by young people with respect to housing and employment, we should look towards establishing a State internship programme for young people and not so young people. It should have a proper established format where young people who come out of college or school could get an internship in a State Department or body and get practical, proper work experience. I was one of the people who benefited from working in Louth County Council for three summers. That work experience benefited me and gave me a knowledge of how matters operate at local government level, a taste for economic research and an interest to move on to my master's in economics. That experience cannot be underestimated. Under Charlie McCreevy's decentralisation programme, he and Fianna Fáil provided for the creating of State Departments and bodies throughout the country. We need to have a proper programme to help young people to get into work. Getting office and work experience will be a problem for young people in the aftermath of Covid because of the change in the way we now work. It is up to the State to look after young people to give them a boost with respect to their CVs, experience and lives. That is what I propose this morning. I would welcome that proposal being discussed at a later date.