Eoghan Murphy (Dublin South East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the initiative and congratulate the Minister on all the work she is doing in Europe in this regard. If the recommendation is agreed at European level, will the thresholds in respect of the schemes for the unemployed be lowered? Consider the back-to-education allowance, for example. If one wants to proceed to third level education, one must be unemployed for a period of up to nine months. Will this period be shortened such that there will be a three-month or four-month threshold? Will that apply to other schemes for the unemployed?

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