Dublin conference to decide €6bn youth unemployment fund

The Tánaiste will lead a conference in Dublin today which hopes to work out how the EU's €6bn fund can be used to bring down youth unemployment.

Over 1 in 4 young people in Ireland are out of work, and thousands leave our shores every month in search of jobs.

Yesterday, the international economic think-tank, the OECD, criticised Ireland's efforts to get young people back to work.

And the conference's host Labour MEP Emer Costello said the matter needs to be addressed with the utmost urgency.

"We really risk having a generation lost to unemployment and indeed, emigration," she said.

"It's very important that we do actually become proactive in ensuring that our young people can achieve their potential, make their contribution to society, and start to earn a living."

The National Youth Council's James Doorley said the money must be invested wisely.

"[There are] upwards of 60,000 people under 25 who are currently on the live register, so really today we're talking about how the new guarantee can be implemented, to make sure those opportunities are available to young people."