asked the Minister for Education if she will use her influence with her European colleagues to expedite the adoption of the Youth for Europe exchange programme; if she expects agreement to be reached on the matter in the near future; if she will outline the benefits of the programme when adopted to young people in this country; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Youth for Europe Exchange Programme.
67.
Ireland will continue to support strongly the proposal for a Youth for Europe programme with a budget of 30 million ECUs at the Foreign Affairs Council to be held this month.
The Youth for Europe programme will be of direct benefit to young people in this country through: (i) increasing the number and quality of youth exchanges between the member states including, in particular, regions in which few opportunities for such exchanges are customarily available; (ii) promoting improvements in the quality of youth exchanges, in particular through assistance with the preparation and organisation of exchanges, so as to achieve the maximum impact and maximise the benifit to the young people concerned, in particular by enabling them to play an active part in organising the exchanges; and (iii) encouraging, as far as possible, diversification in youth exchanges in order to achieve an improved balance between member states, inter alia by the promotion of multilateral exchanges, so as to extend participation, in particular to young people from all kinds of social, economic and cultural backgrounds.