asked the Minister for Labour the number of people between the ages of 18 and 25 who are unemployed; and the plans, if any, he has to ensure that school leavers for 1976 will secure employment.
Written Answers. - Youth Unemployment.
98.
Statistics in regard to the total number of young people aged 18 to 25 on the live register are not published by the Central Statistics Office on a regular basis. The Central Statistics Office do, however, publish, on an annual basis, an analysis by age of males on the live register residing in urban areas. The latest figures available relate to the 26th September, 1975 and are as follows:
|
Under 21 years of age (i.e. 16-21 years): |
4,251 |
|
21 and under 25 years of age: |
5,212 |
|
Total (aged 16-25): |
9,463 |
As I indicated in my reply to a Parliamentary Question by Deputy Wyse on 25th February last, the Government fully appreciate the employment problems caused by the present recession. All sections of our population including young persons have been affected. The real solution of the problem will occur when there has been a general upturn in the economy. In the circumstances, the Government's strategy has been designed to mitigate the domestic effects of the present international economic crisis by tackling the problems of inflation, unemployment and under utilisation of capital investment. As part of the strategy, the Government's public capital programme has been increased to £396.3 million which is an increase of over £100 million on the 1975 figure. At the same time, there is an awareness of the special problems of youth unemployment and measures of direct benefit to school leavers have been introduced in order to help alleviate the situation.
The measures taken include the expansion of the activities of AnCO to enable 9,000 people to be trained in 1976, the introduction and expansion of the youth training programme, an increase in the number of training places for apprentices in AnCO centres and employers' establishments and additional training courses in the regional technical colleges. Many of these measures will benefit from aid from the European Social Fund.