Dan Boyle (Cork South Central, Green Party)
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Question 299: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason refugee and asylum seekers granted residency status are required to serve a further period of at least six months before they can avail of other benefits such as the back to education scheme, despite the length of time they have already spent in the country being prohibited from gaining employment. [9212/05]

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. At present, to qualify for participation in the scheme 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. When I became Minister I had a review of the scheme carried out. As a result of this review I announced that the qualifying period is to be reduced from 15 months to 12 months from September 2005.

The requirement to be in receipt of a relevant social welfare payment for a minimum period of time has always been a feature of the back to education allowance scheme and is considered necessary in order to ensure that limited resources are targeted at those who are most in need of second chance education. The scheme is intended to assist people with a history of long-term dependence on social welfare and is a recognition of the special difficulties which such persons can face when attempting to equip themselves for the modern labour force. Asylum seekers are ordinarily paid a direct provision allowance by the health boards pending a decision on their right of residency. This allowance is not considered to be a relevant qualifying payment, nor can it count towards a relevant qualifying period for the back to education allowance scheme. The BTEA scheme is being reviewed at present as part of Government's programme evaluation process. The final report of the working group, including recommendations for the future of the scheme, will be available later this year. I am continuing to keep the eligibility criteria for this scheme under regular review to ensure that those in greatest need of assistance under the BTEA scheme are protected and will continue to be protected.

Breeda Moynihan-Cronin (Kerry South, Labour)
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Question 300: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs further to the announcement in Budget 2005 that the respite care grant extended to all carers providing full-time care to an older person or a person with a disability, regardless of means, subject to certain employment conditions, the way in which a carer who is not in receipt of the carer's or domiciliary care allowance can make an application for the respite care grant; when application forms will be available and the Department from which; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9283/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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In Budget 2005, I announced that the respite care grant scheme would be extended to all carers providing full-time care to an older person or a person with a disability, regardless of means but subject to certain employment related conditions. The grant will be payable from 2 June 2005. Application forms and information leaflets are currently being drawn up and these will be available from early May. The forms and leaflets will be distributed throughout my Department's network of local offices and will also be available from community information centres. In addition, they may be requested by phone from my Department or by downloading them from my Department's web site. My Department is preparing an extensive publicity campaign to ensure that all those eligible for the grant will avail of it.

The publicity campaign will include advertisements in both provincial and national newspapers as well as posters in various centres and offices. Officials of my Department have already briefed representatives of carers' organisations about the scheme. These organisations will in turn be providing information to their members. My Department is setting up a special section to deal with this scheme. Arrangements are being put in place to ensure applications are processed efficiently and in a timely manner. As part of these arrangements a dedicated free-phone helpline will be operated to coincide with the publicity campaign.

Liam Twomey (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 301: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if a discretionary payment exists for parents with children in hospital; the circumstances under which this payment is made; if the payment is made on medical or financial grounds; the body which administers this payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9348/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which is administered on my behalf by the community welfare service of the Health Service Executive, provides for payment of a basic weekly allowance to eligible people who have little or no income. An assessment of a person's means and needs must be carried out to determine entitlement to an allowance. Where there is a shortfall in a person's weekly income a payment may be made to bring the income up to the appropriate supplementary welfare allowance rate. Alternatively, a single payment can also be made under the scheme to meet an unforeseen exceptional or urgent need. Such payments are made at the discretion of the executive taking into account the circumstances of a case, in particular the financial capacity of the person concerned to meet the need in question from the resources available to him or her.

This would be the most appropriate kind of financial support available in the situation referred to by the Deputy, depending on the particular circumstances of the case. If a parent in the situation described needs financial assistance, he or she should contact a community welfare officer at the local health centre who will assess the situation and determine whether either a basic allowance or an exceptional needs payment is warranted. Neither I nor my Department has any function in relation to individual supplementary welfare allowance decisions.