Marie Sherlock (Labour) | Oireachtas source

We all have our own views on budget 2022. Of course, the Government Senators, as is their right, will speak about the positive aspects of the budget yesterday, whereas there are others of us who believe it was a confetti-like budget. There is a serious question mark about its capacity to make any dent in the very serious rental crisis we have in this country, the childcare affordability crisis and the health waiting lists. Time will tell who is going to be proved right on that analysis of the budget.

There is an issue in the budget that I want to draw attention to and that this House needs to discuss, but it is one that was glossed over yesterday, and that relates to youth unemployment. We heard yesterday that 275,000 jobs will be created next year, and that is wonderful and great. However, let us put that in perspective. As of September, we have an unemployment rate of 10% in this country and the Department of Finance expects that rate to fall to an average of just over 7% next year. That rate covers the labour force as a whole, yet there was no mention of youth unemployment, which is currently running at 17%, four times the rate for older workers in this country.

If we have learned anything from the previous recession, and as we know from all of the international research on the probable impact of this pandemic, one of the major legacies from the pandemic will be youth unemployment and the scarring impact on young workers or those coming out of college or school in terms of being able to access jobs, in particular decently paid jobs. What really concerned me yesterday was that there was a presumption or an assumption that a rising tide will lift all boats.When we look at the sectors in which young workers were concentrated pre-pandemic, that is, hospitality and retail, we see that those sectors are undergoing a profound and structural shift and change at the moment and that many of those businesses will not reopen with the same number of staff. The response may be that an increase in the SUSI grant and new apprenticeships were announced yesterday and that the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy McGrath, also referenced the work experience placement programme in his speech. He did, but what he failed to mention was that the funding allocation for the work experience placement programme was slashed by more than 50% for 2022.

With regard to the costs of going to college, many students rely on part-time work, which is now not available to them, to sustain themselves through college. An increase of €200 in respect of the SUSI grant was announced yesterday. For students coming to Dublin, as I did 20 years ago, in Dublin 1 and Dublin 7, where I am based, that €200 will not even buy them an additional week of student accommodation. The number of apprenticeships announced yesterday is a lot less than that announced for 2021.

Despite the sunny disposition of budget 2022, the impact of the pandemic is far from over. We face a real issue with regard to youth unemployment. I would welcome a debate in this House on that issue.