Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 411: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of people in receipt of back to work allowance, back to enterprise allowance, back to education allowance, community employment scheme payment, training allowances and other FÁS training payments in lieu of welfare in March 2009; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17561/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The back to work allowance, back to work enterprise allowance and back to education allowance are schemes administered by the Department of Social and Family Affairs. The numbers in receipt of these payments at the end of March 2009 is set out in tabular format below.

Community Employment (CE) is an active labour market programme administered by FÁS and designed to provide eligible long term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a temporary, fixed term basis. At the end of March 2009, there were 20,974 people participating in community employment. FÁS offers a range of training courses suited to needs of both jobseekers looking for employment and employees wishing to improve their skills. Courses which lead to major awards on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) are offered in addition to short courses (typically 2 modules) as well as evening courses, on-line courses and blended learning courses that lead to component certification and/or industry recognised certification. The number of people in FÁS training at the end of March 2009 is not available to this Department.