Robert Dowds (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if persons in receipt of partial capacity benefit are entitled to register for courses on the springboard programme and if they are not, if he will consider changing this. [43558/12]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Springboard is a specific initiative that strategically targets funding of free part time higher education courses for unemployed people in areas where there are identified labour market skills shortages or employment opportunities. To be eligible for a place on a Springboard course a person must be unemployed, actively seeking employment, and be in receipt of one of the qualifying payments from the Department of Social Protection or be signing for credits or be previously self employed. Partial Capacity Benefit is not one of the qualifying payments for the Springboard programme. I understand from the Department of Social Protection that in order to be eligible to receive Partial Capacity Benefit a person must be in employment. The Springboard programme is specifically targeted at unemployed people and there are no plans to open the scheme to those in employment.