Bernard Allen (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 48: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the measures put in place by her to incentivise people in employment action plan areas, who received redundancy to take up the back to education allowance in view of the increasing unemployment figures; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17015/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Under the National Employment Action Plan (NEAP) all persons between the ages of 18 and 65 years who are approaching three months on the live register are identified by the Department of Social and Family Affairs and referred to FÁS for interview with a view to availing of a range of employment, training and educational options. The NEAP is not confined to particular geographic areas.

The back to education allowance is designed to facilitate people of working age on welfare payments to return to education in order to gain qualifications which will help to enhance their employment prospects. The main incentives for jobseekers to avail of the scheme are that it exempts them from the requirement to be available for work while participating in an approved course and, in addition, an annual €500 cost of education allowance is payable. Participants may continue to receive any secondary benefits to which they have been entitled.

In general, an applicant must be in receipt of a relevant social welfare payment for six months if pursuing a second level course or 12 months if pursuing a third level course. Provision was made in the recent supplementary budget to allow access to the allowance at three months to pursue courses at second level. However, a person who is entitled to statutory redundancy may access the scheme immediately provided an entitlement to a relevant social welfare payment is established prior to commencing the first year of an approved course of study. Each claimant for a jobseeker's payment is given an information sheet when they make their claim that, among other things, lists the range of employment support services operated by the department, this includes the back to education allowance scheme. The relevant information and booklets are also available in each of the department's local offices.

Jobseekers claimants are also advised about the department's facilitator service which is available to help a claimant to explore the range of work and educational options available. Where a person avails of this service and participation in the back to education scheme is recommended by the facilitator, the qualifying period for the third level option is reduced from 12 to nine months. In addition where a FÁS Employment Officer recommends participation in the back to education allowance Jobseekers claimants are also advised about the department's facilitator service which is available to help a claimant to explore the range of work and educational options available. Where a person avails of this service and participation in the back to education scheme is recommended by the facilitator, the qualifying period for the third level option is reduced from 12 to nine months. In addition where a FÁS Employment Officer recommends participation in the back to education allowance scheme under the NEAP the qualifying period for access to the third level option is also reduced from 12 months to nine months.

Over the summer the Department intends contacting all persons under 25 who are more than three months on the live register to advise them of the back to education options and sources of information available. The Government has devoted significant resources to the back to education allowance over the years. In view of its important role in enhancing the employability skills of jobseekers, the department continues to promote the scheme through all the channels at its disposal.