Nicky McFadden (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Social Protection if the possibility of introducing a youth guarantee scheme in relation to employment and training, as undertaken in the UK and the Netherlands, is being explored by her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38450/12]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Pathways to Work sets out the Government’s policy responses to labour market activation. The objective is to ensure that Ireland’s greatest resource, its people, will no longer remain on the Live Register for lengthy periods without an appropriate offer of assistance from the State. To achieve this objective the Government has committed itself to a range of ambitious targets. Two of the most important commitments are: My Department will engage with each person who becomes unemployed in the future with a view to reducing the average time spent on the Live Register from 21 months today to less than 12 months by the end of 2015. In addition working with the Department of Education and Skills we will provide in excess of 542,000 places on job placement/work experience and training and education in 2012.

These are significant commitments at a time of reduced resources and reflect the importance placed by this Government on labour market activation measures. However, I am conscious of the particular problems relating to youth unemployment and the need to secure cross departmental involvement in the development of appropriate policy responses. Pathways facilitates such cross departmental co-operation and the effectiveness of the measures announced is being monitored on a quarterly basis.

With particular reference to the suggestion of a youth guarantee, there is considerable variation among Member States with regards to the possible implementation of any such guarantee, in terms of the target groups covered and the extent and nature of the policy commitments made. My Department is reviewing arrangements here in the light of these various approaches. The European Commission is also reviewing guarantee policies across the Member States with a view to making proposals for a European-wide approach. These proposals are expected to be published in December.