Sheila Terry (Fine Gael)

I move amendment No. 10:

In page 20, before section 32, to insert the following new section:

"The Minister shall, within 3 months of the commencement of this Act, lay before the Houses of the Oireachtas, a report on the support provided by the Back to Education Allowance.".

This matter was also debated in the Dáil. In light of the recent court case, what does the Department of Social and Family Affairs intend to do to address the outcome of this case? I sympathise to some extent with the Minister's argument in the Dáil that the back to education allowance is an excellent allowance which helps more people to get back into education. I am not sure whether people should continue to receive this allowance during the summer months. Will recipients automatically receive unemployment benefit or another benefit during these months? What is the financial difference between these benefits? I tabled this amendment to find out how the Minister intends to deal with the outcome of this court case and the impact it will have on other people receiving the back to education allowance. Once a decision is made, it cannot simply affect the person to whom the case pertains. It must also be made for other people receiving the allowance.

We must support people who are returning to education and who find themselves without support for a short period of time when they are not attending college. Will these people receive the same financial benefit from unemployment benefit, particularly during the summer, that they would receive from the back to education allowance? Like all students, these people must go out to work during the summer. I recognise that we must support adults returning to education who have family and financial responsibilities. The question remains as to what is the best way to support them. We cannot ignore the decision of the courts.