Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

209. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the Minister or Minister of State that represented Ireland at the Ministerial Council meetings of the European Union during the Irish Presidency of the Council to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26208/13]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Council (EYCS) took place on 16 and 17 May 2013. I chaired the meeting of the Youth Ministers at the Council on 16 May 2013. At the meeting, the EYCS adopted two important policy documents: Council Conclusions on maximising the potential of youth policy in addressing the goals of the Europe 2020 Strategy, and Council Conclusions on the contribution of quality youth work to the development, well-being and social inclusion of young people. These conclusions include a concrete set of measures aimed at raising the profile of youth work at EU level and mainstreaming youth work into broader EU policy responses to youth employment and social inclusion. These include: i. Establishing a new EU expert group on quality youth work; ii. Strengthening the working relationship between the Council of Youth Ministers and other Council of Minister configurations; iii. Mainstreaming youth policy input into the European Semester reporting process; iv. Recognition of centrality of youth work in contributing to the Europe 2020 growth and jobs agenda; i. Recognition of the role of youth work in implementing the proposed Youth Guarantee; ii. Greater coordination between EU youth policy and education, training and employment policies.

Ministers also participated in a policy debate on the theme of: Europe's young people: What can quality youth work contribute to addressing current challenges? Ministers expressed their commitment to follow up and take further actions to progress these aims. To this end, I will host an expert round table event that will explore further the role of youth work in advancing employment and social inclusion for young people (20–21 June 2013, Kildare). The incoming Presidency of Lithuania will focus on the youth employability and social inclusion, while stressing the importance of involving young people in these initiatives. The Greek Presidency is committed to finalising a medium term work plan to guide the work of the Youth Council in addressing the challenges that young people face at this time.

The work of the EYCS in the Presidency's Youth Programme over the past six months has been informed by the findings of widespread consultations with young people about the challenges they face and their priorities in an inclusive European Union. Over 11,000 young people throughout Member States have participated in the current cycle of Structured Dialogue. At local, national and European level, they have voiced opinions about the issues that impact on their lives and their priorities for the future. Over 180 young people and officials from the 27 Member States participated in the highly successful EU Youth Conference which I hosted in March in Dublin.

In addition to the formal dialogue, I hosted an informal meeting with young people from the Trio Member States (Ireland, Lithuania and Greece) and Cyprus and their respective Ministers, Commissioner Vassiliou and the European Youth Forum to hear their views in advance of the Youth Council meeting on 16 May 2013.