Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 214: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if there is an allowance for a dependant child in third level education for a person (details supplied) in County Mayo participating on the rural social scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11332/05]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The rural social scheme was introduced in 2004 to provide directly improved rural services and at the same time securing an income and employment support for farmers and fishermen who can no longer make a viable living on the land from such work.

The rates of payment for those transferring from farm assist, unemployment assistance and unemployment benefit, if previously on community employment, are the same as that for community employment. If a participant's current social welfare payment includes a reduced rate for an adult dependant, then participants will be paid that equivalent on the rural social scheme. Similarly, if the payment includes an increase in respect of a child dependant, then a participant will be paid that equivalent.

The person concerned was in receipt of unemployment benefit from the Department of Social and Family Affairs in respect of himself, an adult dependant and two child dependants. My Department has recently confirmed that the person concerned did not have an entitlement to payment in respect of a child attending full-time third level education. A person in receipt of unemployment benefit does not receive a child dependant increase for children over 18 in full-time education unless s/he has exhausted 156 days of their benefit. The person concerned had exhausted just 60 days of his unemployment benefit payment.