Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Question 70: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of people in active age groups and who are dependent on State income supports that have had their case managed in facilitating their return to work or participation in training or further education in 2002, 2003 and 2004; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4651/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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A range of supports are provided by my Department's locally based facilitators to persons in active age groups who are dependent on social welfare payments. The primary role of facilitators is to assist the long-term unemployed and other long-term welfare dependants back to work, training or further education by providing them on an individual basis with assistance to access the necessary programmes or supports which their circumstances demand. Facilitators have access to some additional services, such as the special projects and family services funds, which provide funding for specialised training and supports for those who are distant from the labour market and who need additional help in preparing them for further training and employment.

One of the supports targeted specifically at the unemployed is the employment action plan, EAP, under which customers, aged 18 to 54 years, who are approaching six months on the live register, are systematically referred to FÁS for guidance, intervention or placement.

Under this process, a total of 108,134 individuals was referred to FÁS for interview during the period 2002 to 2004. Some 70,313 persons were interviewed, of whom 22,540 were placed in jobs-FÁS programmes or other education or training.

In addition to the referral process outlined, a further initiative commenced in May 2003. Under this process, all customers aged between 18 and 55 years who are over six months on the live register and who have not been previously selected for the EAP are being selected for referral to FÁS where they are offered interventions similar to those available under the EAP.

A total of 20,216 persons was referred to FÁS under this process over the period 2002 to 2004. Some 14,164 persons were interviewed, of whom 2,902 were placed in jobs-FÁS programmes or other education or training.

Certain customers referred through the EAP process may face severe employability issues which are not amenable to resolution within the normal range of interventions available. To assist such customers a high supports process was established in 2003 by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.

As part of this process, local networks of relevant service providers are being established in certain areas in conjunction with FÁS and my Department's facilitators. People identified as suffering severe employability issues are referred to the local networks and appropriate avenues identified to enhance employability. A special fund is available to purchase specialist training or interventions that may be required to assist an individual.

My Department, through its employment support and other services, has assisted many people away from the cycle of long-term unemployment and back into the workforce. The services provided, particularly their continued relevance and flexibility, are under constant review. I am particularly interested in advancing measures that blend activation with supports and that make the transition from welfare to work as seamless as possible.

Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 71: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the difficulties regarding the delay in the processing of back to education grants, particularly regarding persons receiving the lone-parent's allowance; and the reason for same. [4550/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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My Department administers a range of back to education programmes, as part of its overall employment support services, to encourage and facilitate people on certain social welfare schemes to return to work. Programmes range from basic literacy courses through to certain postgraduate university courses, and include the back to education allowance scheme, which covers full-time second and third level courses.

A back to education allowance is paid to qualified participants at a standard weekly rate equivalent to the maximum rate of the relevant social welfare scheme. The allowance is payable for the duration of the course of study which, in the case of lone parents, includes all holiday periods. The scheme itself is not means tested and consequently lone parents may take up part-time employment during the academic year and full-time employment during the summer period without affecting their payment.

In addition, participants receive a cost of education allowance of €400, which is payable at the beginning of each academic year. Participants also retain entitlement to any secondary benefits they had while on the relevant qualifying social welfare scheme.

Applications for back to education allowance from people in receipt of one-parent family payment are processed in the pension services office in Sligo. The time taken to process individual new claims varies significantly having regard to the difficulty or otherwise in establishing the circumstances in each case. In addition to the administrative work necessary in respect of each one-parent family claim, there is an onus on claimants to make a claim in the prescribed manner, to furnish all necessary documentation and to co-operate with deciding officers during the processing of the claim. However, every effort is made to process applications as quickly as possible. The length of time needed to decide on entitlement does not result in any loss of payment to the people concerned as entitlements are back-dated to the date of entitlement.

My Department is currently reviewing the procedures involved in processing the back to education allowances to establish how best the process might be streamlined, and I expect improvements in processing times for the 2006-07 academic year.