Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 108: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the categories in which his Department fund or part-fund courses for recipients of social welfare payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23311/07]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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My Department assists and encourages the unemployed, particularly the long term unemployed, lone parents and other social welfare recipients to return to training or education through a range of measures administered by my Department's social and family support service.

These measures include the payment of income support through the back to education allowance scheme to customers who are undertaking a full-time course of education. The scheme is an educational opportunities scheme for unemployed people, lone parents and people with disabilities in receipt of particular payments from DSFA and its objective is to enhance the employability skills of vulnerable groups who are distant from the labour market

In addition my Department through its special projects funds provides funding to third parties to assist welfare recipients, as well as members of their families, improve their employability, personal and family situations through education, training and personal development courses. The fund is focused on assisting people most marginalised in social and economic terms and is operated in a manner that enables a quick response to any needs identified. The projects have given much help by way of intensive training, counselling and other supports to groups at risk of developing long-term welfare dependency. Groups who need special help of this type include the very long-term unemployed, travellers, people with literacy difficulties, lone parents, the long-term ill and people with disabilities. From January to December 2006, over 160 projects were funded at a total cost of €2.9 million.

The funding focuses on assisting people most marginalised in social and economic terms and gives much help by way of intensive training, counselling and other supports to groups at risk of developing long-term welfare dependency. Groups who need special help of this type include the very long-term unemployed, travellers, people with literacy difficulties, lone parents, the long-term ill and people with disabilities and their families.

The initiatives funded demonstrate the positive results of a partnership approach between my Department, the Voluntary and Community Sector and other local players in identifying and addressing local needs in terms of education, training and development.