Social Welfare Rates
Dail Éireann — 2026-02-26
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Louise O'Reilly (SF), Dublin Fingal West

My constituency has the youngest population in the State. Youth unemployment is rising at three times the rate for the general population, as we have discussed, and constituencies like mine will feel that the hardest. A total of 18% of 25-year-olds went back to their parents' house after attempting to live on their own and 43% have never left. This means 60%-plus of young adults remain in their family home. The Minister referenced the need for bespoke strategies. I hope to hear more from him about that in the coming weeks and months. As we have discussed, the labour market is changing. It is not simply the case that young workers need to be incentivised; they need to be trained and equipped to be able to participate in the workplace. The Minister mentioned extended periods of inactivity. There was a bit of a bang of Norman Tebbit off that comment. I do not think anybody enjoys a period of extended inactivity. Young people want to be in work but there must be recognition that some of them will need help with that.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-02-26/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:42+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-02-26