Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

There are additional places, as I have indicated. As announced at the time of the budget, between the Departments of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and Education and Science, it is proposed that an additional 23,500 places are being provided and this provides more than enough scope to facilitate such 18 and 19 year olds.

Bearing in mind there are a number of these young people who will not want to do this - there is more than a mere financial incentive and they will need particular care - I genuinely believe this is a way of ensuring that people at an early age will not just take the €204 a week and see it as a long-term measure, which, unfortunately, has happened.

As I outlined last night, the back-to-education changes are also important. More people will be able to access the scheme. The reform of the back-to-education allowance at second level, where one can access it now at three months instead of at six months, is important. As the second level option includes the post-leaving certificate courses due to the way they are organised, additional access will be available.

Also, eligibility for access to the third level option is being reduced to nine months. Deputies asked why I cannot make it any earlier. It is really important that this is targeted at those who would genuinely be able to benefit from it because they have been unemployed. We need to avoid - Deputies have agreed with this in the past - a typical leaving certificate student who wanted to go on to third level using this as the vehicle to get the allowance. As I indicated, the back-to-education allowance, at over €10,000 a year, is far more generous than the third level grant would be.

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