The Minister for Social Protection, Joan Burton TD, this week outlined her priorities for the upcoming EU Presidency before the Joint Committee on Education and Social Protection.
The Minister stated that an informal Ministerial Meeting of Ministers of Employment and Social Affairs would take place in Dublin, in February 2013. The theme of this meeting will be “Supporting People into Employment “and will focus mainly on the issue of youth unemployment.
The meeting will be particularly timely as it will take place just two months after the EU Commission publish the Youth Transition Package in December 2012. Following publication of this package, the proposed “youth guarantee” is likely to be top of the agenda.
The “Youth Guarantee” aims to help reduce youth unemployment across Europe and, if implemented, would guarantee that a young person receives a job offer, an apprenticeship, training or combined work and training, within four months of becoming unemployed.
The Minister also stated her intention to make progress with regard to two legislative issues, namely the Pensions Portability Directive and a regulation to amend the social security coordination regulations, during Ireland’s EU Presidency.