Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 537: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he will examine the possibility of allowing persons who were in employment and have been made redundant, to qualify immediately for the back to education allowance for third level education, rather than having them wait 15 months;. [1098/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The back to education allowance is a second chance education opportunities programme designed to encourage and facilitate people on certain social welfare payments to improve their skills and qualifications and, therefore, their prospects of returning to the active work force. To qualify for participation in the programme an applicant must be, inter alia, in receipt of a relevant social welfare payment for at least six months if pursuing a second level course of study. The qualifying period for third level courses of study was increased from six months to 15 months for new applicants from September 2004. I ordered a review of the scheme when I became Minister for Social and Family Affairs and subsequently I announced that the qualifying period will be reduced from 15 months to 12 months from September 2005.

The focus of the back to education scheme has always been on those who have been out of employment for some time and find it difficult to get a foothold in the labour market after a lengthy period of unemployment. People who have been recently employed are not in the target group for the scheme. I am satisfied that the current arrangements ensure that the scheme supports those who are most distant from the labour market and whose need is greatest. I have undertaken to the Dáil and the Joint Committee on Social and Family Affairs to continue to keep the qualifying period for this scheme under regular review.