Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 164: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the difference between the back to education allowance and the VTOS payment; the reason one is means-tested and the other not; the steps which are being taken to equalise both grants to the maximum level; and if all grants will be combined into one system. [28484/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Both the VTOS allowance and the back to education allowance, BTEA, are equivalent to the maximum rate of unemployment benefit. Students who had a prior entitlement to unemployment benefit, or unemployment assistance receive this allowance in lieu of their unemployment payment. Therefore, neither the VTOS nor the BTEA is means tested.

In addition, VTOS students who have been at least 12 months in receipt of their social welfare payments prior to joining the programme receive a weekly training bonus of €31.80. For participants on the BTEA an annual €400 cost of education allowance is payable to all approved participants on the programme at the beginning of each academic year.

An expenditure review of the BTEA carried out by the Department of Social and Family Affairs is due to be published shortly. The working group has recommended that the income support element of this Department's VTOS programme will be integrated into the Department of Social and Family Affair's income support provision. In other words, the BTEA and VTOS allowances will be paid to students by the Department of Social and Family Affairs. To date, no final decision has been taken regarding this recommendation. When approval has been given, it is intended to establish a working group to oversee its implementation.