Youth can drive our recovery, if given the chance

THERE has been much comment on the burden we as a State are passing onto our children and young people, as a result of the momentous decisions taken in recent weeks to seek international financial assistance.

It is likely they will be paying back this debt for much of their lives. This of course ignores the reality that they are already paying a high price for the mistakes of those in positions of authority and power in recent years.

The recession is hitting young people hard. One in three young men under 25 is out of work. The figures for October 2010 show there are over 82,000 young people on the Live Register. This does not include the many thousands who have already emigrated in hope of a job and a better life. We know from our own research conducted with young jobseekers, to be published in early 2011, that many thousands are planning to leave in the next 12 months.

These grim employment prospects are not helped by the large cuts in jobseekers’ allowance introduced in the last two Budgets, which makes it hard for them to make ends meet. Jobseekers aged 18-19 years are entitled to a maximum of €100 a week and those aged 20-24 only €150. At the time, the Government claimed these cuts were being introduced to incentivise young people into work, education or training. That would make sense if jobs or alternatives were available, but they are not. We know from our work with young jobseekers that they are desperate for a job, education or training and in many cases happy to take unpaid work experience. However, the reality is that despite promises, the places are not there to meet demand. The most recent statistics show 55% of those on the minimum wage are under 25 years, and with that being targeted for a cut, it’s hard for young people not to think they are being particularly targeted by Government policy.

In other areas young people have also borne the brunt of cutbacks. Youth work organisations around the country that support young people in our communities have been forced to scale back services, due to a range of cuts from various sources. Many of these projects work with the most disadvantaged, such as early schoolleavers and are finding it hard to cope, as demand has increased due to the recession, along with the fear of further cuts coming down the tracks, that will make it impossible to continue. We are also concerned crucial areas such as mental health services and suicide prevention programmes for young people are being undermined and downgraded, despite the increase in demand.

NYCI accepts our public finances need correction and some cuts are necessary. What we cannot accept is the haphazard, short-sighted and misguided manner in which decisions are currently being made, which are set to condemn a whole generation to unemployment, alienation and emigration.

It doesn’t have to be like this. The current generation of young people can be the drivers of our recovery, if given the chance.

* Orlaith McBride is President of the National Youth Council of Ireland