Issue of youth unemployment highlighted at conference in Cavan

The issue of youth unemployment was one of many issues highlighted at a special youth conference in Cavan Town today.

Sinn Féin Senator Kathryn Reilly from Ballyjamesduff was one of those responsible for organising the conference in the Cavan Crystal Hotel.

Speaking in Cavan today at the conference 'Guarantee Our Future', Senator Reilly highlighted the economic, social and emotional cost of youth unemployment in Ireland. She called on the government to address this crisis and prioritise investment in job creation.

 “In the government's Action Plan on Jobs published in February, of 333 recommendations only four related to young people,' she claimed.

“This is simply not good enough. The government is not taking the youth employment crisis seriously.

“The announcement in February of EU funding for youth employment initiatives including a guarantee is clearly welcome. However I share the concerns of others here today that the €6 billion allocated EU wide is nowhere near enough to even start to address the system.

“The cost of youth unemployment is massive. According to one study the economy loses €3.6b annually as a result of our high levels of youth unemployment.

“The cost on the young people themselves, their families and their communities is equally devastating – economically, socially and emotionally.

 “There is a need for greater urgency from government to stem the tide of youth unemployment.

 “The government must start to invest in job creation – to create the jobs that young people so desperately need.

 “We need a state-wide Youth Guarantee scheme working to assist the 53,800 unemployed under 25s would play a positive role in assisting these people into training and education and back to work.”