Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Zappone for her comments. The Tánaiste has been very consistent in her view that she wants to help people access education, training and the workplace. The changes that have been made to the back to education allowance scheme allows a customer of the Department of Social Protection who may not have informed, nor were they obliged to inform, someone they were in study, to access the back to education allowance scheme at the mid-point in a course, which is an important change. It will mean that people who are not in receipt of the back to education allowance, but would qualify for it, can now take it up at mid-point to allow them to complete their course. I hope that is helpful to the Senator.