565 young Kerry people amid long term unemployed

MORE than 550 young people are among the long-term unemployed of the county in a trend described as deeply worrying by the National Youth Council of Ireland this week.

The NYCI is now calling on the Government to roll out an EU programme here that would take all young people into employment of some form after no more than four months unemployment.

At present, 565 young people have been unemployed for at least six months in Kerry according to the latest figures from the Department of Social Protection on those in receipt of Jobseekers’ Allowance or benefits.

The out-of-work young of the county form part of a national demographic comprised of 11,000 young people (under the age of 26) described as still ‘far too high’ by the NYCI as it ramps up the pressure on Government to do something about it. The council says the figure is ‘mirrored’ at national level – yet despite the large numbers of young people out of work the Government has still failed to roll out a special EU programme.

“The EU Youth Guarantee Programme guarantees a work, education or training opportunity to any young person unemployed for four months or more. In 2013, the Government committed to the implementation of the Youth Guarantee in Ireland. Yet four years on, despite the improving economy and labour market, we still have too many young people out of work,” NYCI Deputy Director James Doorley said.

His organisation is now calling on the Government to develop an action plan under the scheme that would more than halve the number of long term unemployed young people by 2018.

“It is vital we support young jobseekers into education, training and work experience and prevent the drift into longterm joblessness. This will require a renewed focus on the implementation of the Youth Guarantee and the provision of additional education and training places,” Mr Doorley added.

The organisation has costed the objective at €47.4 million, but said the spend would represent an investment with a great return:

“We recommend an additional investment of €47.4m in Budget 2018 to reduce the number of young people long term unemployed by the end of 2018. This is the gross cost, as this investment would lead to reduced social welfare payments as more young people move into employment, saving €33.4m per annum. While the net financial cost would be €15m, the social, economic and community benefit of having over 6,000 more young people in gainful employment is incalculable... we should be much more ambitious in tackling long term unemployment,” he added. THE return of Tralee and Killarney town councils, and possibly even Listowel, could be on the cards if the Dáil votes in support of a new bill from Fianna Fáil.

Kerry Fianna Fáil TD John Brassil described the Fine Gael/Labour government’s disbandment of the old urban council system as ‘short-sighted and destructive’. “Our bill will create a Commission under the Local Government Act to review the geographical distribution of proposed town councils. This Commission will examine their powers and how they are financed. The purpose of this is to provide a fair basis to further legislative for the re-establishment of town councils.”