Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 194: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if a person signing on for credits but receiving no weekly payment is eligible under the rules for the back to education allowance in respect of third level education. [43040/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, 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 work force. The scheme is designed to enable people in receipt of social welfare payments to pursue an approved full-time education course, subject to fulfilling the qualifying conditions.

A person signing on for credits is eligible to participate in the scheme provided the relevant qualifying conditions for Back to Education Allowance are fulfilled. Those conditions relate to the age of the person applying and length of time spent on the primary scheme for which an entitlement to credits is established. Persons signing on for credits do not receive a weekly payment but they can avail of the cost of education allowance. This is a once off payment of €500 at the start of each academic year.

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 195: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if her attention has been drawn to the growing concern among people who were recently made unemployed that their applications will not be processed by her Department in time for Christmas 2008; the number of extra staff being recruited; the offices to which they are being deployed; when they will be starting; and the locations from where these extra staff are being sourced. [43078/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Department is committed to providing a quality customer service to all its customers. This includes ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are issued as expeditiously as possible having regard to the eligibility conditions which apply. Every effort is being made to process claims in local offices as quickly as possible. This includes the prioritisation of work, assignment of additional resources including staffing and overtime. In October a total of 46,261 claims were processed and, up to 21 November, a further 40,380 were decided. This is an average of approximately 10,800 claims a week.

At 21 November there were 43,652 claims awaiting a decision in local offices. Based on the average number processed each week, it is envisaged that apart from cases in which particular difficulties may arise, claims on hand at present will be processed before Christmas. Pending a decision on their claim, claimants may apply for Supplementary Welfare Allowance from the Community Welfare Officer.

Because of the increased number of claims for jobseeker payments, the Department undertook a review of staffing levels in Local Offices in May and June of this year. This resulted in the assignment of an additional 31 staff to some 15 Local Offices. Following on the most recent review of the staffing levels in Local Offices, an additional 115 staff are to be assigned. Arrangements are being put in train to assign the additional resources required.

The additional 115 staff are to be assigned to local offices as follows:

6 additional staff to Limerick

5 staff each to Newbridge, Waterford and Galway

4 staff each to Bishops Square, Clondalkin, Dun Laoghaire, Tallaght and Navan

3 staff each to Blanchardstown, Bray, Coolock, Drogheda, Nth. Cumberland St., Nutgrove, Tralee, Wexford, Kilkenny and Ennis

2 staff each to Carlow, Finglas, Letterkenny, Tullamore, Newcastlewest, Sligo, Ballyfermot, Clonmel, Kilbarrack, Navan Road, Swords, Athlone, Buncrana, Dundalk, Mullingar and Arklow

1 staff each to Cavan, Longford, Apollo, Ballymun, Loughrea, Thomas St., Ballina, Carrick-on-Suir, Castlebar, Dungloe, Listowel and Thurles.

There will be no recruitment of additional staff. They are being sourced from existing Civil Service numbers, both from within the Department and from other Government Departments.