Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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293. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation when youth unemployment was last discussed at an EU Council meeting. [7358/17]

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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On 8 December 2016, the EPSCO Council discussed youth unemployment under the format of EU policies on the Youth Guarantee and the Youth Employment Initiative.

At EU level, discussions on youth unemployment fall under the remit of the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council, also known as EPSCO.  While youth unemployment activation policies fall primarily under the responsibility of the Minister for Social Protection, my Department coordinates EPSCO ministerial meetings across Government. 

At the 8 December 2016 EPSCO meeting, Ireland, represented by the Minister for Social Protection, Leo Varadkar, T.D. and the Minister for Employment and Small Business, Pat Breen, T.D. supported the adoption of Council Conclusions on the implementation of the Youth Guarantee and the Youth Employment Initiative. 

These Conclusions noted the significant progress on the implementation of the Youth Guarantee and the Youth Employment Initiative to date and called on Member States the step up the implementation of these policies in Member States. 

In addition, while not focused primarily on youth unemployment, the Education, Youth, Culture and Sports Council of 17 February adopted conclusions on Investing in Europe's Youth. These conclusions have a broad focus on youth affairs, including education, training, learning mobility and employment.

Ireland's youth unemployment rate continues to decline as the labour market improves. Eurostat measure Ireland's youth unemployment at 15.1% in January, down from 17.6% from January 2016 and significantly below the euro area average of 20%.

While this improvement is welcome, the Government recognises the importance of a continued focus on measures to facilitate young unemployed people find and sustain employment.

The key objective of Ireland’s policy response to the EU Recommendation on a Youth Guarantee is to help newly unemployed young people find and secure sustainable jobs. In this regard, the Department of Social Protection is overseeing specific measures to address these challenges. I am confident these measures, and continuing economic recovery, will support further youth employment opportunities.