Unemployment crisis for under 25s in Dublin continues unabated – Donohoe

7th February, 2010

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.”