Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he received a copy of the Being Young and Irish – Take Charge of Change report from the Office of the President, Áras an Uachtaráin as part of President Higgins series of seminars with young persons here which took place in Dublin, Galway, Monaghan and Cork in 2012; if he has noted the Take Charge of Change declaration made by the participants; the steps he has taken arising out of the report’s findings in order to achieve young person’s vision for Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14533/13]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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I received a copy of the Executive Summary of the report, Being Young and Irish, and the accompanying Declaration from the Office of the President in November 2012. The report and Declaration address a wide range of issues of relevance to young people in Ireland today, many of which fall under the policy responsibility of other Ministers.

My Department’s key objective is to support job creation in the economy, principally through the Action Plan for Jobs process. The 2013 Action Plan for Jobs, which was published on 22 February, recognises the need to support young people in enhancing their skills and finding employment. The Action Plan includes a number of measures for delivery in 2013 which are particularly targeted at young people. These include recognising the role of youth work services in contributing to skills development, facilitating increased participation in volunteering, and the preparation of a Government Policy Statement on Entrepreneurship, including youth entrepreneurship.

In addition, programmes such as JobBridge and MOMENTUM, which are administered by the Department of Social Protection and the Department of Education & Skills respectively, will continue to provide work experience and training to unemployed young people.

The vision outlined in the Being Young and Irish Declaration coalesces in many respects with the Government’s objectives for the economy – improved prosperity, an enterprise culture and the opportunity for education and employment for all. I will continue to work with my Government colleagues in 2013 to implement the Action Plan for Jobs with a view to achieving these objectives.