Youth conference tackles unemployment

MORE than one in four Irish people aged under 25 are currently out of work with almost 4,000 unemployed in Dun Laoghaire and South County Dublin alone.

These were some of the stark facts highlighted by Dublin Labour MEP Emer Costello at a recent high profile conference on the Youth Guarantee in Dun Laoghaire.

Speaking at the conference in the Marine Hotel, Deputy Costello said that it was crucial that the Government fully utilised EU programmes as it targets a further reduction in youth unemployment

“The e8 billion European fund agreed in June to tackle youth unemployment, to be frontloaded over 2014 and 2015, is welcome assistance in our fight against youth unemployment,

? she said.

“If we do not act to provide opportunities for these young people, we risk losing an entire generation to long term unemployment or emigration.

“The human and societal costs of such a prospect cannot be countenanced.
With these funds now secured, we must ensure that Ireland makes full use of both the Youth Guarantee and other EU programmes designed to alleviate youth unemployment.

?

Deputy Costello pointed out that Ireland’s total from the e8 billion Youth Guarantee fund has yet to be agreed.

“This figure will depend on the Government’s submission for a national roll-out of the Youth Guarantee, to be finalised by December, and how much co-funding it is prepared to put forward,

? she added.

“As an MEP on the European Parliament’s Employment Committee, I have been active on several other initiatives which Ireland could utilise to reduce youth unemployment.

“For example, I am working with my colleagues in the Socialists and Democrats Group to ensure that the European Social Fund equates to at least 25 per cent of the overall structural funds.

“I am also working to ensure that at least a further e100 million from the new e815 million Employment and Social Innovation Programme will be targeted at reducing youth unemployment in the coming years.

?

Tánaiste and leader of the Labour Party, Eamon Gilmore, also addressed the conference