Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD to travel to Berlin for round table meeting of EU leaders on Youth Employment

The Taoiseach, Mr Enda Kenny TD, will today travel to Berlin for a round table meeting of EU leaders on Youth Employment hosted by Chancellor Angela Merkel. The Minister for Social Protection, Ms Joan Burton TD, will also participate.

The round table follows on from a number of major steps taken on youth employment under the Irish Presidency. EU leaders in March provided for the first time a specific €6 billion EU fund for youth employment. This was improved upon last week in Brussels, when it was agreed that most of the money would be spent in 2014/2015 and that flexibilities in the EU Budget would be used so that the amount available would end up being more than €8 billion.

Germany has invited EU Heads of State and Government as well as Minsters responsible for Youth Employment issues, along with the Presidents of the European Parliament, European Commission, European Council and the EIB to attend. The objective of the meeting is to identify concrete actions by the Member States to tackle Youth Unemployment and implement the Youth Guarantee, agreed under the Irish Presidency in February, and following the decisions taken last week at the European Council.