THE DÁIL HEARD today that 85,200 young people under the age of 26 are “neither earning nor learning”.
The claim came from Fianna Fáil’s Willie O’Dea during questions with Social Protection Minister Joan Burton.
“This is one in six young people,” the Limerick TD told the Labour deputy, referencing those people without a job who have not yet obtained a place in an education or training scheme.
O’Dea said the figure came from a parliamentary question to the Taoiseach this week.
None of the 85,200 unemployed young people had become involved in further education or training in the four weeks preceding the survey. The figures relate to the last three months of 2013.
Of the total number, about 20,000 are in Dublin, a further 26,100 are living in the border, midlands or west, while the remaining 39,100 are in the southern and eastern region (excluding Dublin).
Responding to the query about whether a reduction in jobseekers’ benefits in Budget 2014 had led to a decrease in unemployment in this query, Burton read out a passage from a May 2009 parliamentary question answered by Fianna Fáil TD Mary Hanafin.
“Well, in order to incentivise young people to avail of education and training and prevent them from being welfare dependent, changes have been made to the Jobseekers’ Allowance. It is not discriminatory,” she quoted.
Burton claimed the changes implemented in the last Budget were there to give people a better opportunity, adding that young people were availing of these options.
She noted that the government is trying to contact those who are “particularly hard to reach”, such as early school leavers and those who have had “small bits of jobs”.
Citing the Ballymun Pilot Scheme, she said there was “positive engagement with officials”.
Willie O’Dea argued that there are not sufficient training and education places for the number of young people without jobs.
It is expected that 105,650 places in education and training programmes will be provided this year, as outlined in the government table below.
The debate took on a more pointed tone following Burton’s choice to read from an old Fianna Fáil parliamentary question response.
She said that “amnesia” must be “all the rage” in the party.
“Sometimes I wonder if you remember the bank guarantee,” she asked the Dáil.
Remarks from both Burton and O’Dea about ‘lying’ were asked to be withdrawn.
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