asked the Minister for Labour what concrete action on youth unemployment was taken at the Council of Ministers meeting in Brussels on 28th October, 1977.
Written Answers. - Youth Unemployment.
33.
The Council of Ministers of Social Affairs at its meeting on 28th October, 1977, discussed a communication from the Commission concerning the employment of young people, and asked the Commission to prepare detailed proposals for programmes of Community aid designed to encourage youth employment in the member states. The Council considered that such proposals should be selective to ensure that the aid is granted to areas of greatest need.
The Council also asked the Commission for proposals within the framework of the European Social Fund for strengthening the link between the post-school training and the employment of young people.
34.
asked the Minister for Labour what concrete action was taken on youth unemployment at the meeting of the special EEC standing committee on employment on 24th November, 1977.
At its meeting on 24th November, 1977, the Standing Committee on Employment discussed a Commission communication on youth employment. This communication outlined suggestions for new subsidies for job creation in industry and for certain employment programmes in the public sector, strengthening of Community aid for post-school training for young people, and assisting the development of national institutions responsible for labour market management with encouragement and support from the Community.
As Deputies will be aware the function of the Standing Committee on Employment is to ensure continuing dialogue and consultation between the representatives of the Governments of member states, the Commission and bodies representative of workers and employers in order to facilitate co-ordination by the member states of their employment policies in harmony with the objectives of the Community. The committee have no executive function.
It is expected that the Commission will submit formal proposals early in 1978 to the Council of Ministers for Community action in relation to youth employment and that the discussions at the standing committee meeting of 24th November will be taken into account in the formulation of these proposals.