Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)
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Question 514: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the assistance currently available to adults seeking to return to full time education and the related thresholds. [16505/06]

Síle de Valera (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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Participation is generally free on full-time further and higher-level recognised certified education courses, up to and including under-graduate level. Means-tested maintenance grants are available to Higher Education and PLC students.

Eligible students in receipt of social welfare payments receive a Back to Education Allowance from the Department of Social and Family Affairs, in lieu of a social welfare entitlement, while on full-time second or third-level programmes. This allowance is equivalent to the maximum of unemployment benefit. Students are also paid a cost of education allowance of €400 per annum.

The main objective of VTOS is to give unemployed people education and training opportunities which will develop their employability. The scheme is confined to adults over 21 who are in receipt of unemployment assistance/ benefit, a one parent family payment, disability allowance/benefit or signing for credits. One must be in receipt of one of these allowances for at least six months in order to join VTOS. Dependent spouses of people in these categories are also eligible.

VTOS students who had a prior entitlement to an unemployment payment receive a training allowance in lieu of this payment. This allowance is equivalent to the maximum of unemployment benefit. Students who were at least 12 months in receipt of a social welfare payment prior to joining VTOS receive a weekly training bonus of €31.80.

Youthreach provides two years integrated education, training and work experience to young people aged 15-20 years who are at least six months in the labour market and who have left school early without any qualifications or vocational training. The programme provides a strong emphasis on personal development, on the core skills of literacy/numeracy, communications and IT.

A training allowance is payable to Youthreach participants at different rates, depending on age. The rate of training allowance for trainees aged 18 and over is linked to the maximum unemployment payment under the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs for an adult. An additional training bonus of €31.80 per week may be payable in certain circumstances.

A similar programme in a culturally supportive environment is operated for Travellers, aged 15 years +, in a network of Senior Traveller Training Centres. There is no upper age limit in the Senior Traveller Centres in order to encourage parents to participate, given the influence this exerts on their children's participation in school.

Post-Leaving Certificate programmes are also available to adults, as are full time third-level courses. For these two options, tuition fees are free and there are means tested maintenance grants available. Rates and thresholds are given in the table.

A guidance service that is aimed at participants in VTOS, literacy, community education and other adult education programmes is available free of charge in most areas throughout the country.

Students on Youthreach, Senior Traveller Training and VTOS programmes, which are administered by VECs with funding from my Department, may also receive assistance towards childcare expenses to encourage them to go back to further education.

My Department funds three means-tested maintenance grant schemes for third-level students. The Higher Education Grants Scheme operates on a statutory basis, while the Vocational Education Committees' Scholarship Scheme and the Third-Level Maintenance Grants Scheme for Trainees operate on an administrative basis. The statutory framework for maintenance grants under the Higher Education Grants scheme is set out in the Local Authorities (Higher Education Grants) Acts, 1968 to 1992.

The Deputy will be aware that in accordance with the commitment in An Agreed Programme for Government I plan to introduce a single unified scheme of maintenance grants for students in higher education. This will, I believe, provide for a more coherent administration system which will facilitate consistency of application and improved client accessibility and ensure the timely delivery of grants to those who need them most.

The current income limits and grant rates are outlined in the tables for the information of the Deputy.