Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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525. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons who are benefiting from the back to work enterprise allowance scheme that have entered the taxi industry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13545/14]

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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526. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons who have benefitted from the back to work enterprise allowance scheme who entered the taxi industry as part thereof since she entered office; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13546/14]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 525 and 526 together.

A breakdown by occupation, or the nature of the self-employment enterprise, of recipients of the back to work enterprise allowance scheme (BTWEA) is not available from the records held centrally by the Department.

An eligible person wishing to commence a business as a taxi driver, as with any other business, may apply for the BTWEA. To qualify for the scheme, a person must set up a self-employment business that has been approved by a Local Integrated Development Company or one of this Department’s Case Officers. The business venture must be deemed to be viable and sustainable and must not involve displacement of existing business in the same industry. Each application for BTWEA is decided on its merits, within the criteria set down for the scheme. In assessing viability, cognisance is taken of the demand for, and supply of, the particular service at local level.

The Deputy will appreciate that it is not a function of the Department to regulate entry into any specific business. Each application for the BTWEA is examined on its own individual aspects and local demand and supply must be considered, regardless of the particular industry.