Ms Bríd O'Brien:

As I said earlier, we do not quite agree with the OECD on the lock-in effect. One of the difficulties that arises with the back to education allowance is that people are accessing the formal education system, which is quite rigid in how it operates. Somebody who becomes unemployed in January or February and for whom going to third level would be an ideal option, may or may not be eligible depending on when the course begins.

It will be interesting as it evolves to see how the PECS score system kicks in and whether that will facilitate people for whom that is an option. It may be particularly beneficial to them and they would not have to observe the current waiting period. It is very much around trying to develop a system that has the capacity to engage with the person and meet the person's needs in a timely fashion. It would be an ideal world if we could have eligibility for everybody from day 1 but, being realistic, that is not feasible. However, there are ways to address this to ensure people for whom it would be particularly beneficial and help in the longer term get into work or a good job. It is about the system having the capacity to engage with people and to offer them options that would be useful for them.