Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 311: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the steps she is taking to provide extra incentives for persons who have recently become unemployed to undertake courses, which will provide them with the necessary skills to gain employment; if she has discussed the issue with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, in order to ascertain a need for such incentives; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18046/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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My Department provides a wide range of second chance education opportunities to facilitate people on certain social welfare payments to improve their skills and qualifications and, therefore, their prospects of returning to the active work force.

The back to education allowance (BTEA) is one of these second chance education opportunities schemes. It is paid at a standard weekly rate equivalent to the maximum rate of the relevant social welfare payment that qualifies the applicant for participation in the scheme. It essentially replaces their existing social welfare income and in addition an annual €400 cost of education allowance is payable. This will be increased to €500 from the beginning of the academic year 2008/2009.

To qualify for participation an applicant must be in receipt of a relevant social welfare payment and be at least 21 years of age prior to commencing an approved course of study. However, lone parents and persons in receipt of unemployment payments can qualify at 18 years of age provided they are out of formal education for at least 2 years. In general, an applicant must be in receipt of a relevant Social Welfare payment for 6 months if pursuing a second level course or 12 months if pursuing a third level course.

However, people who are awarded statutory redundancy may access the BTEA scheme immediately provided an entitlement to a relevant social welfare payment is established prior to commencing an approved course of study. In addition, people who are participating in the National Employment Action Plan (NEAP) process may qualify where a FÁS Employment Services Officer recommends that pursuance of a third level course of study is essential to the enhancement of the individuals employment prospects.

Under the NEAP, people aged 18 and under 64 who are approaching certain durations on the Live Register are identified by the Department of Social and Family Affairs and referred to FÁS for interview with a view to job placement or offer of training. All new claimants are currently selected for referral on reaching 3 months on the Live Register. They remain on the Live Register while engaged with FÁS under the NEAP until they take up offers of employment or training. If they do not attend for interview or with FÁS or, having engaged with FÁS, decline offers of employment or training, their cases are referred back to the social welfare local office for review to determine if they continue to satisfy the conditions for receipt of unemployment payments.

The National Development Plan (NDP) provides for the Social and Economic Participation Programme involving an investment of €50m in an Activation sub-programme over the lifetime of the plan. The objective of the sub-programme is to promote participation and social inclusion through activation measures aimed at people of working age. The aim is to facilitate progression regardless of the circumstances that led the person to require income maintenance. This wider activation programme will build on my Department's existing experiences in cooperation with other relevant agencies such as FÁS, VECs, HSE and other local agencies. At present there are some 40 facilitators engaged locally in the activation process across the department's eight regional areas. An additional 30 Facilitators are being recruited to support the Activation process.

My Department and FÁS operate under a memorandum of understanding which is updated periodically and is currently under review. Senior department officials hold regular joint meetings with FÁS and the Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment on policy and operational matters. There are also regular meetings between the Department and FÁS at regional and local level.