Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 1160: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of applications submitted by successor tenants of rent controlled dwellings for rent supplement under Regulation SI 188 of 1998 as amended by SI 354 of 2002; the number of rent supplements granted; the average payment made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1620/07]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The regulations to which the Deputy refers concern rent allowance. The rent allowance scheme provides a rent subsidy in cases where the tenant's income is at or slightly above social welfare pension rates and where the rent charged for the property being rented was formerly controlled under the Rent Restrictions Acts.

The Rent Allowance scheme currently has 249 recipients of whom 65 are successor tenants since 1998. The average weekly payment is currently €55.78.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 1161: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if the back to education allowance is payable in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1648/07]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The back to education allowance is a second chance education opportunities scheme 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.

To qualify for participation in the BTEA scheme a person who is in receipt of illness benefit must, inter alia, be in receipt of that payment for at least 3 years immediately prior to commencing the first year of an approved second or third level course of study. In the recent budget I reduced the qualifying period for illness benefit recipients to 2 years. This new arrangement will come into effect from September 2007.

The person concerned has not made an application for participation in the BTEA scheme. However, from enquiries made in the matter it appears that she is in receipt of illness benefit only since October 2006 and is not, therefore, eligible for participation in the scheme.