Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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807. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the youth unemployment rate here; the way in which this figure compares to the European average; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26108/16]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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In July 2016, the EU28 average harmonised unemployment rate for the age group 15 to 24 was 18.8% while Ireland’s youth unemployment rate was 17.7%. Ireland’s youth unemployment rate has been below the EU28 average every month since December 2015. Ireland’s youth unemployment fell in August 2016 to 17.1%; the EU28 average for August 2016 is not yet available from Eurostat.

The Government’s primary strategy to tackle youth unemployment is to create the right environment for a strong economic recovery through effective policies. In doing so it is hoped to promote competitiveness and productivity. The fall in youth unemployment to date indicates that this strategy is working.

The Government recognises that as the recovery continues, there is a need for additional measures to ensure that as many as possible of the jobs created are taken up by jobseekers and young jobseekers in particular. This is the rationale behind the Government’s Pathways to Work strategy and the Youth Guarantee Implementation Plan.

Within this framework, the Youth Guarantee sets a medium-term objective of ensuring that young people receive an offer of employment within four months of becoming unemployed. The main plank of the guarantee is assistance to young people in finding and securing sustainable jobs. In 2015 monthly engagement by case officers with the young unemployed was implemented. For those who do not find employment, additional offers are provided for. Most such offers (over 70%) are in further education or training. Others are in community-based employment programmes such as CE, Gateway and Tus, or through the JobsPlus employment subsidy for private employment.