No Words Of Comfort For NI Youth Unemployed - Nesbitt

Ulster Unionist Leader, Mike Nesbitt MLA, is highlighting the fact that deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness has no words of comfort for Northern Ireland's youth unemployed.

Mr Nesbitt's comments follow Martin McGuinness's statement to the Assembly concerning Friday's meeting of the North-South Ministerial Council.

Mr Nesbitt, who is also Chair of the Committee of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister, highlighted the recent report from the World Health Organisation that assesses youth unemployment in the UK as a "time bomb waiting to explode" and asked the deputy First Minister what comfort a 17-year-old NEET would take from the statement.

He said: "Mr McGuinness reported that the Ministerial Council, composed of no fewer than 24 Ministers from the two jurisdictions, considered that youth unemployment 'continues to be of concern', that they received a 'further update' following their last discussion on the issue, and that they again discussed how the EU's Youth Guarantee might help.

"I am sorry to say that in response to my question of what comfort a 17 year old Not in Employment, Education of Training (NEET) might take from his words, he could do no better than to further define the scale of the problem, rather than detail solutions. For a man who claims to be in problem solving mode, this is deeply disappointing. So-called NEETS will take little comfort from being told the problem is worse in Greece and Spain."

(CD/IT)