David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)

Question 4: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the efforts his Department is making to assist older people and pensioners to remain in and return to the workforce, in view of his commitment to improving the employment prospects of older people; the reasons pensioners cannot avail of the back to education allowance, BTEA, scheme and older people are not included in FÁS training strategies; his views on extending the employer PRSI exemption scheme to include people over the age of 55 returning to work; the reasons for the poor take up among non-contributory State pensioners of the earnings disregard from insurable employment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8200/07]

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