Govt relying on pressure valve of emigration but figures still top 20,000+
Despite the fact that our young people are emigrating in droves, the unemployment crisis in Dublin for under 25s continues unabated according to Fine Gael Dublin Central Senator Paschal Donohoe. Senator Donohoe was responding to the latest CSO unemployment figures which show a staggering 20,287 under 25s now on the Live Register.
“Never in the history of the State have so many people been out of work and as pointed out by Fine Gael this week the Government is relying on emigration to keep the unemployment figures below the 500,000 mark. Despite this, the situation for young people in Dublin is still deteriorating with more than 20,000 now recorded on January’s Live Register.
“The blatant lack of a job creation strategy from Government to deal with this crisis is evident in this month’s figures. Almost 86,000 under 25s are now unemployed nationally, with a whopping 20,287 or 24% of those in Dublin.
“In the absence of any action, the Government has, to date, relied on the pressure valve of emigration or young people taking up further study to stem the flow of unemployment which has been another abysmal failure. We are now faced with a situation whereby the country is experiencing a brain-drain and every two hopeful students here are competing for every college place available.
“Under the current Government, unemployment among under-25 year olds has shot up from by 150%. Fine Gael is the only Party to produce a concrete, costed plan to tackle youth unemployment to cut the number of under-25s on the dole by a third within 12 months of entering Government through a national internship programme, a second chance education scheme, apprenticeship programmes, an increase the number of community employment Schemes and workshare programmes.
“If all Fianna Fáil and the Greens have to offer young people is reduced social welfare rates and a future of despair they should make way for a Fine Gael Government that can get the country back on track.”