An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business
Dail Éireann — 2026-07-14
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Malcolm Byrne (FF), Wicklow-Wexford

While we have a very strong economy and, in overall terms, full employment, I am concerned about the fact that youth unemployment has now hit a rate of 10.8%. That is in the region of 37,000 young people. We are also seeing a situation now where graduate unemployment is higher than the national unemployment rate. Some of this is obviously because there is reduced hiring in consumer-facing sectors. There is a concern about ensuring that work pays, but we are living in a time where we are seeing more access to education and training than before. It is a concern that if young people feel they are alienated from society because they do not have employment opportunities, it could have long-term repercussions. What approach is the Government taking to tackling this issue? I know it is not just confined to Ireland, but it is something that the Government needs to address.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-07-14/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-14T01:01:08+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-07-14