Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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124. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if the youth guarantee funding from the EU will be subject to macro-economic conditionality; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49778/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The Deputy appears to be referring to the €6 billion Youth Employment Initiative. The detailed regulations for this Initiative are still under negotiation as part of the overall negotiations on the EU Structural Funds for 2014-2020. These negotiations are being led overall for Ireland by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, with the Department of Education and Skills taking the lead in relation to the Youth Employment Initiative because of its links to the European Social Fund.

I am advised that Macro-economic conditionality will be a feature of the next round of Structural Funds, including the European Social Fund on which the Youth Employment Initiative is based. The relevant provisions of the Common Provisions Regulation governing the Structural Funds will provide that the Commission may request a Member State to review and propose amendments to its Partnership Agreement and relevant programmes, where this is necessary to support the implementation of relevant Council recommendations or to maximise the growth impact of European Structural and Investment Funds in Member States receiving financial assistance from the EU.