Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 176: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the incentives available from her Department for persons returning to full-time education to complete the leaving certificate and who are not in receipt of a social welfare payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34662/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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My Department has put the resources and supports in place to ensure that there is a wide range of course options available in the Further and Higher Education sectors for people who wish to return to education later in life. The priority target group of Further Education programmes generally is those who are disadvantaged and who lack basic skills. For this reason, incentives for persons returning to full-time education to complete the Leaving Certificate are confined to recipients of social welfare payments. Financial incentives are not available to people who are not in receipt of social welfare payments.

However, tuition and books and materials are provided free of charge or at nominal cost. People who have not completed upper second-level education are one of the target groups of the Further Education service. I would be keen to encourage people to return to education to complete a Leaving Certificate course. The adult education services, which are financed by my Department and delivered locally by VECs, are geared to the needs of adults who wish to do so. For example, the Back to Education Initiative (BTEI) is aimed primarily at adults who have not completed upper second-level education. This initiative is being provided on a part-time basis.

A key aim of this arrangement is to increase the flexibility and responsiveness of the system (e.g provision in the mornings, night-time, weekends etc. as needed, in a way which enables learners to pursue individual modules and accumulate credits towards full awards in line with their needs). The eligibility criteria for participation in the BTEI have recently been amended to allow free tuition to any adult with less than upper second level education. Childcare support is available to BTEI learners.

Persons considering returning to full-time education should contact the Adult Education Officer of the local vocational education committee to find out what courses and supports are available to them.