Timmy Dooley
Question:137. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Social Protection the progress that has been made on the establishment of a youth guarantee scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4095/13]
View answerTuesday, 29 January 2013
Questions (137)
Written answers
The European Commission has made a proposal for a Council Recommendation on a Youth Guarantee. In the form proposed by the commission, the Recommendation would be for Member States to ensure that all young people receive a quality offer of employment, continuing education, an apprenticeship or a traineeship within four months of becoming unemployed or leaving formal education. To be adopted, the Recommendation has to be agreed by the Member States. The process of negotiation on the Recommendation is currently under way, and the Irish Presidency has indicated our intention to have the agreed Recommendation adopted at the Council of relevant ministers at the end of February, and by the European Council before the end of our Presidency.
The main issues under discussion in the negotiations relate to the identification of the target group of young people, to the length of the period within which a guarantee would apply, the types of measure that would qualify as meeting the guarantee, and the question of flexibility for Member States with particularly high levels of youth unemployment and/or particularly difficult circumstances in relation to their public finances. When an agreed Recommendation has been adopted, the Government will review existing policies related to youth unemployment and identify the measures that will be required for the implementation of the guarantee.