Written answers

Tuesday, 13 October 2009

Department of Social and Family Affairs

Social Welfare Code

12:00 pm

Photo of Richard BrutonRichard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 305: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if she will develop a back-to-education option that will allow people take up part-time education while claiming a jobseeker's payment. [35184/09]

Photo of Mary HanafinMary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Social and Family Affairs provides a wide range of second chance education opportunities for unemployed people, lone parents and people with disabilities. The Department's objective in this area is to raise educational and skills levels among the long term unemployed, in order to assist them to meet the requirements of the modern labour market. The Department's back to education programme was introduced to provide a comprehensive range of options from basic courses of education, training or development through to third level courses of study from which an unemployed person can choose, or be directed to, the course most appropriate for their needs.

The part-time education option (PTEO) under the back to education programme was introduced to enable unemployed people to attend part-time courses of education or training and retain their jobseeker's allowance or jobseeker's benefit provided that they continue to satisfy the conditions of being available for and genuinely seeking employment on an on-going basis. Unlike the other educational opportunity schemes there are no specific eligibility criteria for availing of this option. A person may be of any age and may be unemployed for any length of time before commencing a part-time course of education. Part-time day/evening/early morning courses, distance education or part-time courses under the back to education initiative (BTEI) may be approved under the part-time education option (PTEO). Approval to undertake a course must be obtained in advance from the local social welfare office. The scheme will continue to be monitored in the context of the changes in the economic climate.

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