Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 156: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if the back to education allowance will be awarded to a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24382/09]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 157: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs when unemployment benefit or unemployment assistance or similar payment will be awarded in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24383/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 156 and 157 together.

An application form for the back to education allowance was received from the person concerned. However, while in the process of being transferred from one office to another, the form was mislaid. A Facilitator will arrange to meet with her at a suitable time next week to have a fresh application completed and a decision will be made on this case as soon as possible thereafter.

Payment of one parent family payment (OFP) to the person concerned ceased on 3 June 2009 as she no longer had a qualified child dependant. She works part-time and since March 2009 she has been in receipt of reduced rate jobseeker's benefit for the days on which she is unemployed.

As the OFP is no longer in payment she now has the option of transferring from jobseeker's benefit to jobseeker's allowance if it is more beneficial to her. An application form for jobseeker's allowance has issued to her. She should complete and return this form if she wishes to have her eligibility to jobseeker's allowance assessed.