The National Youth Council of Ireland has welcomed the Government's commitment to tackle drugs and unemployment during Ireland's Presidency of the EU. It said young people would need to be addressed as the group most seriously affected by the problems.
In a statement, the council president, Mr Simon Nugent, said 72,000 people under 25 were unemployed, and recent reports indicated "heroin is now as freely available as cannabis".
He said the Government's programme would be judged on its tangible results, not on good intentions or strong statements.