Pádraic McCormack (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Question 587: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his plans to revise the eligibility criteria for the back to education allowance; if these payments will be extended to 12 months rather than the academic year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9489/07]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The back to education allowance or BTEA 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 an applicant must be, inter alia, in receipt of a relevant social welfare payment for at least six months, in the case of people wishing to complete a second level course, or twelve months in the case of people wishing to pursue third level qualifications. The twelve month requirement is reduced to nine in the case of people who wish to attend a third level course and who are participating in the National Employment Action Plan process.

In 2002 the Government appointed an independent Estimates Review Committee to consider the Estimates proposals received in the Department of Finance from Departments and Offices. In its report to Government that Committee recommended discontinuation of the practice of paying the back to education allowance over the summer period to people who were formerly on the live register. The Committee concluded that people on the scheme during the academic year should be able to take up paid employment during the summer break. If they could not find employment, they would be entitled to jobseekers allowance or jobseekers benefit, subject to satisfying the usual conditions and, therefore, no hardship would occur.

Payment is made under the scheme for the duration of the academic year in the case of people on unemployment payments prior to taking up this scheme. People in this situation may qualify for unemployment payments during the holiday period. It is important that the resources available under the scheme are directed at the most vulnerable in society. I will continue to monitor the scheme but I believe that, overall, the current arrangements ensure that my Department's back to education allowance scheme continues to support effectively those people who are most distant from the labour market.