Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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130. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the steps that have been taken to date to implement the Youth Guarantee; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39867/14]

Joan 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 should be implemented on a phased basis.

The Youth Guarantee Implementation Plan was published in January. It provides for over 28,000 programme opportunities for unemployed young people in 2014. This figure excludes some 24,000 places provided for young people through PLC courses and apprenticeships. These PLC and apprenticeship places, together with the wide range of vocational third-level courses provided for the young, although not reserved for unemployed jobseekers, nevertheless contribute to the spirit of the guarantee.

Starting in 2014, and for completion by the end of 2014, processes and programmes are being 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.

In relation to the 28,000 plus places for unemployed young people, approximately 14,300 of these had been taken up at the end of September. This excludes a number of schemes where up-to-date figures are not currently available (as outlined in the table provided). The table supplied displays the total take-up for the year-to-date, together with the estimate for full-year intake provided in the Youth Guarantee Implementation Plan.

Take-up is expected to rise substantially by year-end, for several reasons.

First, the student intake on programmes such as the Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) and Vocational Training Opportunity Scheme (VTOS) is concentrated in September/October in line with the academic calendar. In addition, the intake of young people to the 2014 iteration of the Momentum programme for long-term unemployed jobseekers has just begun (late September).

Second, some of the initiatives planned under the guarantee required primary legislation to allow positive discrimination on age grounds in the provision of employment services and supports. This legislation was enacted as part of the Social Welfare Bill over the summer. Two employment schemes in particular, the Youth Guarantee developmental internship programme and the JobsPlus variant for young people (supporting young unemployed at risk of becoming long-term unemployed who have been signing on the Live Register for 4 months), were dependent on this legislation being passed. These schemes will be in place shortly. The legislation also permits the introduction of earlier and more intensive engagement by INTREO with the young unemployed which should also translate increased placement on schemes covered by the Youth Guarantee.; processes to give effect to this engagement are currently being implemented by the Department.