John Deasy (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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Question 73: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs her plans to allow persons who are self-employed but whose means come within the income limits for the back to school allowance to claim this payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31973/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance scheme provides a one-off payment to eligible families to assist with the extra costs when their children start school each autumn. The allowance is not intended to meet the full cost of school clothing and footwear but only to provide assistance towards these costs. A person may qualify for payment of an allowance if they are in receipt of a social welfare or Health Service Executive (HSE) payment, or are participating in an approved employment scheme or attending a recognised education and training course and have household income below standard levels.

Self-employed people may receive a back to school clothing and footwear allowance, provided they are receiving a qualifying social welfare or HSE payment or participating in approved employment or education/training and satisfy the other qualifying conditions of the scheme. Any changes to the qualifying criteria of the scheme would have cost implications and would have to be considered in a budgetary context and in the light of resources available for improvements in social welfare payments generally.