19/03/2014

Government Is Failing Young People - Sinn Féin

Sinn Féin's Dublin EU candidate Lynn Boylan has said the findings of the OECD's 2014 'Society at a Glance' report is proof that both Labour and Fine Gael are failing young people.

Deputy Boylan said that while the OECD isn't needed to show that high numbers of young people are experiencing poverty, their latest report on social indicators validates Sinn Féin's position that the government is failing young people.

"Long term unemployment among young people is historically high according to the report, with Ireland now ranking sixth highest in the OECD, who warn that Irish jobseekers could become permanently disconnected from the labour market," Deputy Boylan said.

She added: "Relative poverty has increased for young people. One in ten families are living with food poverty and the numbers in involuntary part time employment is on the rise.

"This, of course, is a direct result of the government's failure to invest in an ambitious Youth Guarantee and Jobs strategy. Low income families have been hardest hit.

"Sinn Féin's first response to the crisis in 2008 was to publish a job creation and retention strategy. We argued that you cannot simply cut your way out of a recession and that the optimal approach to minimising the devastating long term economic and societal impacts of the financial crisis was to invest in jobs.

"Sinn Féin has since published a comprehensive Jobs Strategy and in our budget proposals for 2014 we ring-fenced income from a Wealth Tax for an ambitious Youth Guarantee programme providing training and education."

(MH/JP)

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