Or does the country's recovery mask deeper social and economic problems shared across the EU?

Ireland, Europe's economic poster boy?

Hello and welcome to the Forum  in the European Parliament

in this joint broadcast with Irish TV  and EuroparlTV. I'm Alan Cantwell.

I'm Paul Anderson, and  we'll be spending the next 30 minutes

discussing Europe's perennial thorn,  the economy,

in particular seen from the perspective  of Europe's resurgent poster boy, Ireland.

Joining us are four guests, Deirdre Clune  from Ireland's governing Fine Gael party

Marian Harkin, an independent in Ireland  and allied to the Liberals here in the EP.

Luca Visentini, Confederal Secretary of  the Trade Union Confederation in Europe.

And via Skype from Killarney,  County Kerry, in South-West Ireland,

Tom Griffin, managing director  of Griffin Management Solutions.

You're all very welcome to us.  I want to start with you, Tom,

and start the discussion on the European  Globalisation Adjustment Fund, the EGF.

And, from your experience,  and what you have gone through,

from Andersen Ireland Jewellery,  its collapse, and then your resurgence

and your renaissance  in your new company.

or did you feel that it contributed  significantly to where you are today?

I think the Globalisation Fund  is a significant factor for many people.

I have to be upfront and say that  I haven't had a direct involvement

in the establishment  of the programme here locally,

but there is a very active committee  involved in processing that.

But what's really fundamental, where the  Globalisation Fund comes in in a big way...

What people have to try to understand, and  it's difficult without having gone through it,

is that people who have worked in a  company like Andersen for nearly 20 years,

who came straight from school  with a very limited skill base

and suddenly find that  the rug is pulled from underneath them,

their job is done,  their life is turned upside down,

you're of course in a position of having  to radically re-evaluate what your skills are

And for many people in that situation  the problem is

none of the skills you have don't necessarily  match the opportunities available.

Before we turn to our guests  for their thoughts on the same issue...

Will the amount of funding available,  some 2.5 million euros altogether,

for former employees  of Andersen Ireland Limited,

and also for people who most needed  to get on to the job market,

will that funding make  any significant difference at all?

The general feeling of all who've  engaged with the process is that

it has given them a whole new opportunity  in terms of the skills it has given them.

So I have to say that certainly,  yes, it is very valuable.

It won't necessarily be  a solution for each individual

but it is certainly a very valuable resource  to have available to the people.

Tom, do stay with us,  we'll continue the conversation.

Let us just discuss  the Globalisation Fund, Marian Harkin.

And look at the success of this,  you've been a champion for this.

where we have seen Talk Talk Dell, the  construction workers have benefited from it.

But is there an argument to expand its remit

and look for example at individuals  from 15 to 25, who are not trained,

and not in education, that we should  siphon some of the money towards that,

or get a budget to try and train them  or educate them?

Well, actually part of the new regulation  is where if, for example the Anderson case,

where they had 138 people who were  redundant and able to access the fund,

if in a situation that the youth  unemployment level is at a certain height,

and it is in the South and West of Ireland,

what we call 'neets', people  not in education, or training, or work,

So not only did 138 workers from Andersen  access the fund,

138 young people under 25 not in education  or training were able to access it.

So that is a change in the new fund,  and I think it's a very important one,

because we're trying  to make youth unemployment

one of the top priorities, if not  the top priority, of this parliamentary term.

And that is one way.  It's a small way, and it's only a start,

but it's a small way of at least  giving those 138 people

a little leg up the ladder  as far as training or education is concerned.

Let me bounce back to you, Deirdre Clune.

If you added up across Europe every year,  it's 150 million euros, a small contribution.

but a drop in the ocean  if you look at unemployment.

The point is though  it's very significant in areas such as this.

The former Andersen workers  know this is an area

that had a very high unemployment rate,  38% I think,

so it was double the national average and  it was classified as a disadvantaged area.

So it's a valuable fund for that community  and communities like it across Europe.

Alan, you spoke about young people and  the Youth Guarantee is addressing that,

that particular fund of 6 billion,  it's now 10 billion euros across Europe,

focusing on young people  under the age of 25.

If after four months  they haven't found suitable employment,

or training or an education facility,  then that would be provided for them.

And that's a priority of this Parliament.  We've had a number of debates on it so far.

I'm a substitute on the committee  that Marian is on as well.

But it's a very important initiative,  and I think in Ireland at the moment,

for this year, or the 24,000 places  16 have been taken up so far.

Deirdre, let me ask you about how you  measure the success of such a programme,

because it's ultimately  long-term sustainable employment,

and the cynics would say that this is merely  used to massage the employment figures

in that you're taking somebody off the  dole queue and putting them into training.

It's relevant training.  -I absolutely agree,

but where does it end up statistically  in terms of numbers who avail of that?

There are a number of schemes now  aimed at young people.

The jobs pitch programme, which has got  quite a lot of criticism, but is very important.

An independent report showed that  70-90% of individuals

so it's a valuable internship project for  young people and they do get employment.

Now obviously you have  to measure the outcomes.

Let's take that point  directly to you, Luca Visentini.