Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)

It is a legitimate concern that people should not be encouraged to organise their affairs in that manner. However, I do not want people sitting idle for as long as 23 months. For example, if one loses one's job in October, one will be ineligible for the back to education allowance when the new college year starts 11 months later. Therefore, one must wait another entire year, until the following September, to avail of the scheme. This is of no assistance to people.

The Minister said she is examining this entire area. When does she propose to provide a solution to these difficulties? She should begin making changes immediately. We are always saying that emerging technologies will be what helps to bring us out of this recession. This would be somewhere to start. Members meet unemployed people every day who want to use their situation as an opportunity to retrain rather than merely sit at home hoping to find some type of work somewhere.

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