Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)

I thank the Minister for her reply and welcome her statement that a badly needed review of the system is under way. We have created a poverty trap by precluding those who are not in receipt of payments from the State from accessing training and education supports. Having committed to considerable expenditure, for example, meeting the costs of college for their children or repaying large mortgages, the families in question are struggling. They are falling through a gap because they do not receive State benefits.

Many of those who have been made redundant after 25 or 30 years in employment have skills that are outdated and are no longer required in the current market. They are anxious to be retrained but when they present themselves at the offices of what used to be known as FÁS to avail of retraining opportunities, they are refused assistance. This group is growing larger by the month. It is unacceptable to refuse people training and upskilling opportunities or back to education allowances because they are not in receipt of a State payment. The individuals in question have paid high rates of tax for the past 25 or 30 years and have probably never been unemployed. This anomaly in the social protection system is being ignored. It is, however, probably close to the Minister's heart because she, like many other Deputies, will have encountered similar cases in her constituency. I ask her to take a special interest in this group which has been discriminated against in recent years and ensure the matter is redressed in the review.

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