Pat Deering (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle's office for selecting this matter, which was brought to my attention during the Christmas recess. St. Catherine's community services centre in Carlow runs a Moving On local training programme targeting new mothers with lower second level education. During the ten months of the course from September to June, participants complete nine Quality and Qualifications Ireland, QQI, level four modules, which leads to an award equivalent to the leaving certificate. The profile of the participants is young women who are unable to continue mainstream education because of substantial personal needs for social support. During the lifetime of this extremely important programme, hundreds of participants have achieved personal, social and educational development and been empowered to progress to employment and further education. These successful outcomes are possible because of the high level of support offered to participants in the programme. As well as assisting them towards their educational attainments, they are supported with advice and information on housing, welfare, financial management and physical and mental health.

All of this is crucial for their personal well-being, persistence and resilience and for the future development of their children. Each participant is assigned a key worker who regularly supports them on a one-to-one basis in respect of personal education issues. The personal growth and development of participants is measured by means of specific mechanisms and encouraged by means of the soft outcomes universal learning, SOUL, training model. I understand that Carlow and Dundalk are the only two locations in the country at which the needs of single mothers in this regard are dealt with.

Prior to January 2014, participants on the SOLAS training course who were in receipt of the one-parent family payment received an additional training allowance of €108.20, together with their social welfare payments. This training allowance ceased in January of last year. The participants on the Moving On training and service programme at St. Catherine's during 2013 and 2014 were the last to receive the allowance. Of the 20 who started on the programme, 16 completed it. Of these, 15 gained major awards. Fifty-five applications were received in respect of the 20 places on offer on the programme for the 2014-2015 year. Unfortunately, a lack of financial support - namely, the training allowance - meant that 27 of the potential participants who secured places on the programme during the summer months declined them on the grounds that they would not be able to afford to attend at St. Catherine's. The level of demand for the course was more than double the number of places available. Although the course is free of charge, the personal cost of attending was seen as prohibitive by the majority of potential participants. As a result, for the first time since the course's inception, only 15 participants commenced the programme in September 2014. An application to the Department of Social Protection for out-of-pocket expenses was refused on the grounds that this is a 40-week programme and that such expenses only apply in respect of 26-week programmes.

The major issue arising relates to the fact that those who participate on this programme are the underprivileged in our society. It costs such individuals between €15 and €30 week to have their children looked after. They are also obliged to pay travel expenses. Most of the people to whom I refer live in rural areas and may be obliged to ask someone to transport them to St. Catherine's or to make other arrangements. In general terms, the cost relating to running the programme is €13,000. Given that there are only two such programmes on offer in the country, this means that a total of €26,000 is all that is required to ensure that both will remain in existence for the next period. As already stated, we are talking about some of society's most marginalised individuals - namely, young women who are single parents or otherwise and who want to develop personally in order to ensure that they will enjoy a favourable future. I ask the Minister of State to consider reviewing the position with a view to reinstating the training allowance to which I refer.

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