Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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493. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the actions she will take on foot of the outcomes of the Informal Expert Roundtable at Castletown House in June; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39461/13]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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496. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if her Department and the agencies working with young persons will play a role and contribute to the implementation of the youth guarantee; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39464/13]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 493 and 496 together.

Youth employment was a key-note theme of Ireland's EU Youth Presidency Programme. A key policy output on this theme is the Council Conclusions on Maximising the potential of Youth Policy in addressing the goals of Europe 2020, with particular emphasis on youth employment which were adopted by the Council of EU Youth Ministers in May. Being acutely aware of the huge significance and impact of youth employment, I hosted an international Expert round-table event in Castletown, Co Kildare to examine the issue of Youth Employment, focusing on how both youth policy and youth work practice are addressing youth employment. This event brought together, for the first time, youth representatives, academics, business leaders, industry, innovators and policy makers on a national and European level, to discuss the contribution of youth work to youth employment. This two-day event examined a range of key issues, themes and trends relating to youth employment and showcased a range of Irish and European good-practice examples in addressing youth employment and the problem of NEETs. The central emphasis of this event focused on optimising the youth work sector's response to youth employment. As part of a wider approach, it is clear that youth work offers a significant infrastructure, reach and capacity to play a highly-relevant role in developing young people's skill-sets and competencies and supporting their job-readiness.

Young people through their engagement in youth work attain specific and transversal skills which enhance employability. These 'soft' skills include learning to learn, social and civic competence, leadership, communication, teamwork, and entrepreneurship. These skills actively support young people's participation, development and progression in education, training and employment, in ways that are relevant and applicable to industry and valued and sought after by employers.

The key output from this Expert Roundtable Event resulted in the Dublin Declaration on the contribution of Youth Work to Youth Employment. This Declaration set out to maximise the contribution, visibility and viability of youth work amongst all stakeholders working with and for young people at European, national and local levels. It clearly outlines the contribution youth work can make in supporting the employability and employment of young people under a range of principles and actions. This Declaration has been brought to the highest levels in both Ireland and Europe ensuring greater visibility and recognition of the contribution of youth work to youth employment.

The outcomes from this Expert Roundtable Event are directly informing our national agenda in addressing youth employment, including the identification of actions for progression by my Department in the 2014 Action Plan for Jobs. It is also in directly informing the work of my Department on the high-level group interdepartmental group on the Implementation of the Youth Guarantee. My Department is working collaboratively with officials of the Department of Social Protection, the Department of Education and Skills, Department of Enterprise, Jobs and Innovation and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in this regard.

Furthermore, my Department is currently developing a proposal as to how the youth work sector can contribute to the implementation of the Youth Guarantee. This proposal is also being directly informed by a mapping of activities within the Youth sector in the areas of employment, employability and entrepreneurship being carried out by my Department at present. The design and development of this study is being directly informed by key stakeholders in the Youth sector. I am confident that these developments will ensure that we harness the collective efforts of all key informants in the Youth sector so that we maximise the contribution of this sector to the effective implementation of the Youth Guarantee.