Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Deering for raising this matter and for giving me the opportunity to clarify the position in relation to the payment of allowances to participants on the Moving On training initiative. This initiative is part of the local training initiative programme funded by my Department through SOLAS and the education and training boards. The latter, in collaboration with local community organisations, provide flexible local training initiatives for unemployed persons. In Carlow, such initiatives are provided at St. Catherine's for young mothers who are unemployed and who are seeking pathways back into work. The local training initiative programme is designed to provide opportunities for marginalised learners who are unable to participate in other education and training board training interventions for personal, social or geographical reasons.

The programme enables local communities to carry out valuable and necessary projects of benefit to their communities, while at the same time training participants in areas related to the project work in order that they can go on to gain employment or progress to further training. Unemployed people, primarily those between 16 and 35 years of age, who have no formal qualifications or whose secondary level qualifications are incomplete and who are experiencing some form of disadvantage are eligible to apply. The local training initiative programme supports many organisations engaged in a wide variety of activities, including genealogy, environment, heritage, tourism, arts, sports and leisure. It received over €33 million from my Department in 2014.

The payment of allowances for training, including that relating to the local training initiative programme, is aligned to people's social welfare entitlements. A number of changes have been made in this area in the context of budget decisions taken in recent years. These changes have largely been driven by the economic situation that obtained in the country in recent times. As part of the decisions to which I refer, the payment of dual allowances to certain participants on training courses was ceased. I refer here to new participants, as the payment would have continued in the case of existing participants. The dual allowance model is where certain participants, such as lone parents, retained their social welfare payments and also received the standard training allowance while participating on training courses. The payment of an additional training allowance of €31.80 to the long-term unemployed was also ceased on a gradual basis in recent years. I understand it is to this allowance that the Deputy refers.

The budget changes to which I refer had an impact on all education and training board training programmes that attracted training allowances. The core purpose of these additional allowances was to act as an incentive to participation in training during a period of high employment levels. They were never meant to be an additional support; rather, they were designed to attract people to the relevant courses during the good times. I accept, however, that over time they came to be viewed as an additional support, and that is probably where the problem lies. There is no doubt that attending the courses to which I refer involves a cost to participants. The additional training allowances were never intended to address the cost of participation in training. Separate arrangements, such as those relating to meals, travel and child care, were always in place for that purpose. The nature of the payments - as an incentive rather than as a measure intended to meet the cost of participation - is demonstrated by the fact that they was not available to all people in receipt of payments from the Department of Social Protection. In other words, only certain individuals qualified for them. The changes in question reflect the entirely different employment situation that now obtains, as well as the very difficult budgetary position in which the Government finds itself at a time when we are endeavouring to protect the overall level of provision of education and training.

The Deputy referred to child care and the cost of travel. Quite a number of participants on these schemes may qualify for either full-time or part-time subsidised child care places. It would be worth his while checking the position in this regard under the child care employment and training support scheme. I imagine that some of those to whom the Deputy refers would be entitled to support, and I will certainly check the position as well. Certain participants on courses are paid travel costs on the basis of the distance they reside from the location at which the course is on offer. These payments range from €4.60 to €32.60.

The overall issue which arises is whether the cessation of the training allowance constitutes a barrier to education. Part of the work SOLAS will do in the coming year will involve examining the position with regard to barriers to participation. I give the Deputy a commitment that we will consider the matter he has raised in the context of the SOLAS review.

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