Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent)
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610. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of temporary clerical officers that have been employed by her Department over each of the past three years; the number of those who have been retired public/civil servants; her views on whether her Department should employ retired staff in these positions in view of the level of youth unemployment here; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31568/13]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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Since its establishment in June 2011, my Department has not employed temporary clerical officers. Youth employment is a pressing challenge at present, domestically and across European Member States. My Department, through its focus on youth policy and youth work, is contributing to addressing this challenge on a range of levels. Through the Action Plan for Jobs 2013, my Department has met all targets in relation to actions outlined and is firmly committed to maximising the role the youth sector can play in this area. On a European level, we have ensured that the theme of youth work and its contribution to youth employment is central to our Presidency Programme. This has been a keynote of all our Presidency events (EU Youth Conference, Structured Dialogue Process, Ministerial Council etc) and has resulted in the adoption of Council Conclusions and, in the last two weeks, has informed a Dublin Declaration on the contribution of youth work to youth employment.