Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

We are looking at all cases to see how we can streamline processes. I mentioned earlier people going from jobseeker's allowance to jobseeker's benefit looking for information and this would fall into that category, as people may go to FÁS and come back. Another example is where people working in the education sector contact social welfare offices during mid-term break and holiday periods. They would not be in receipt of social welfare benefit when working, whether engaged in filing or other jobs but we need to examine if a way can found to streamline the process in terms of people being paid, given the heavy burden of work on staff in local social welfare offices.

On the question of the referral of people for courses, Deputy Enright mentioned the similar benefit rates people are paid but the different additional benefits they receive. There is a need to streamline the rates payable to people participating in different education courses that come under the remit of different Departments. Two people may be doing the same course, one under the VTOS and the other under the back to education scheme and one or other of those scheme may include a travel allowance, food allowance or child allowances. These are the types of issues we are examining.

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