Written answers

Tuesday, 8 July 2014

Department of Social Protection

Youth Guarantee

Photo of Caoimhghín Ó CaoláinCaoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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423. To ask the Minister for Social Protection her plans to increase the age of eligibility for the Youth Guarantee scheme ahead of the next budget. [29813/14]

Photo of Joan BurtonJoan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Implementation of the Youth Guarantee is a medium-term policy of the Irish Government. It is envisaged that the guarantee as it affects those aged under 18 years will be implemented within 2 years, i.e. by the end of 2015. The guarantee of an offer of training, education or work experience for those aged 18-24 years after a four month period will be implemented on a phased basis.

Starting in 2014, and for completion by the end of 2014, processes and programmes will be progressively rolled out to ensure that all of those young unemployed people who need most support (i.e. are assessed as having a low probability of securing employment in the absence of support from the Public Employment Services) will receive a Youth Guarantee offer within four months.

During 2014 – 2015 all long-term unemployed young people under 25 will be engaged by the Public Employment Service and will receive a Youth Guarantee offer if still unemployed after four months of this engagement process commencing.

The operation and coverage of the Youth Guarantee offer described above will be reviewed before the end of 2015, in the light of developments in the economy and in the labour market. Should the labour market situation of young people improve during this period the review will examine opportunities to broaden and deepen the level of supports offered in respect of those young people who continue to be unemployed.

The EU Council Recommendation on the Guarantee recommends that member states “should “ensure that all young people under the age of 25 years receive a good-quality offer of employment, continued education, an apprenticeship or a traineeship within a period of four months of becoming unemployed or leaving formal education”.

The age coverage for the implementation of the Guarantee here is in line with the EU Recommendation, and there are accordingly no plans to increase the age of eligibility for the youth guarantee in Ireland.

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