Guarantee Our Future!

The ‘Guarantee Our Future’ conference, organised by MEP Martina Anderson and Senator Kathryn Reilly, last Friday, was a major success. Young people from across the 32 counties of Ireland attended the discussion forum which focused on the issue of youth unemployment.

There was a range of informative speakers including Valerie Duffy of the European Youth Forum who highlighted the staggering levels of unemployment in the EU. She commented that 1 in every 4 young people, between the ages of 16 and 25 are out of work. James Doorley, Deputy Director of the National Youth Council Ireland, noted that 142,700 people under 25 emigrated between 2008 and 2012. The debate centered on the ‘Youth Guarantee’ scheme, something which Kathryn Reilly has been arguing for.

The conference included an international dimension as Portuguese MEP Ines Zuber, member of the European Parliament’s Employment and Social Affairs Committee addressed the gathering. She explained the current economic situation in Portugal, stating that public debt in Portugal is a staggering 123% of GDP. Stefan Lindborg President of the Ung Vänster (Young Left) in Sweden also spoke. He outlined a left alternative to the jobs crisis.

Fermanagh Sinn Féin Republican Youth activist Sophie McClintock, was also in attendance, she said ‘The Guarantee our future talk really highlighted the growing problem of youth unemployment, not only in Ireland, but Portugal and Sweden also, with representatives from both countries explaining how many of their young people are neither employed nor in full time education. Youth unemployment and emigration is a serious issue in border counties such as Fermanagh with friends and family as young as 19 feeling they have no other option but to leave home to find work.’

Matt Carthy, former Ógra Shinn Féin National Organiser and current mayor of Carrickmacross, was at the conference. Afterwards he remarked: “Martina Anderson and Kathryn Reilly are to be commended for organising the event. It was clear from listening to various speakers that governments, not only in Ireland but across Europe , are failing young people in particular. What is also clear is that the Sinn Féin platform of stimulus and development is gaining traction. That can be seen in pronouncements from the EU and even government Ministers in Dublin of late. What we now need is to move beyond pronouncements and statements and onto action plans that will make a real difference to young people. The Youth Guarantee has the potential to be an important first step but above all we need to change direction; we need the policies and the plans to create the conditions where young people can get sustainable, well-paid jobs in their home country. Effectively we need what Sinn Féin has been arguing for over the past five years of austerity”.