Gerry Adams
Question:333. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on the report, Youth Unemployment in Ireland, the Forgotten Generation, by the National Youth Council of Ireland. [55216/13]
View answerWednesday, 15 January 2014
Questions (333, 334)
Gerry Adams
Question:334. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Social Protection if she has met with the authors of the report, Youth Unemployment in Ireland, the Forgotten Generation, by the National Youth Council of Ireland to discuss its findings. [55217/13]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 333 and 334 together.
The National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI) report referred to by the Deputy was published in 2010 and pre-dates the formation of the current government. However, I am aware of more up-to-date reports by the NYCI on the issue of youth unemployment, most notably their pre-Budget 2014 submission, which supports the introduction of a Youth Guarantee in Ireland, and their Youth Guarantee Fact Sheet. In addition, the NYCI have had an input into the formulation of the Youth Guarantee. Consultation with stakeholders was identified as a key aspect of the Department’s process for the formulation of a Youth Guarantee Implementation Plan for Ireland and consequently a stakeholders’ forum was convened in October 2013, where the NYCI played an active part and subsequently made a submission. The NYCI are also represented on the National Steering Group of the Ballymun Youth Guarantee Pilot.
I have had active engagement with NYCI during my tenure as Minister for Social Protection. I launched the NYCI book 'Creating a Future for Jobseekers' on 31 March 2011. I also met with the European Youth forum and NYCI on 31 January 2013. More recently, I met with representatives of NYCI on 19 December 2013.