For generations, a summer job was a rite of passage as integral to the Irish teen’s summer as a Gaeltacht course or trips to the seaside. 

At one point most teens had summer jobs but now those that do seem firmly in the minority. 

Speaking on The Hard Shoulder, Home Show presenter Sinead Ryan said child labour laws make it harder than it was before to employ teenagers - although she noted there is one big advantage to doing so. 

“Employers get to pay under 18s less, so there should be more incentive to take them on and I think it’s really rough where [teenagers] are finding that that’s not the case,” she said. 

“It’s a great pity; I worked in a cafe, I babysat at the age of 16. 

“It was important and it was character forming and I don’t think it did anybody a bit of harm.” 

Two teenagers on their phones. Image: Axel Bueckert / Alamy Stock Photo

Journalist and mother of seven Jen Hogan said in her experience most people underestimate how “really hard” it is for teenagers to find employment. 

“If they’re under 18, the actual number of hours they can work is restricted,” she said. 

“Then there’s the fact that a lot of employers don’t seem to want to take on teenagers if they’re going to go back to school in September. 

“It’s a lot of hassle and disruption for them.” 

Ms Hogan said she worked as a shop assistant as a teenager but thinks on reflection it was simpler to be a teenager during her youth. 

“[Teenagers] are highly annoying at times and we spend a lot of time complaining about teens and giving them a raw deal,” she said. 

“[But] not actually thinking about the fact that we don’t cater for them. 

“We give out about them being on phones and screens and we offer them nothing.” 

Currently, the minimum wage is set at €12.70 per hour but workers under 18s are only guaranteed €8.89 per hour.

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Main image: A teenager with a summer job. Picture by: Alamy.com