Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 359: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of persons in receipt of back to work allowance, back to enterprise allowance, back to education allowance or a community employment scheme payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41272/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Social and Family Affairs has a range of employment and education supports available to people in receipt of social welfare payments. These initiatives are designed to assist people to return to the active labour force. The main supports available are the back to work allowance, the short-term enterprise allowance and the back to education allowance schemes. At week ended 30th October 2009, the total number of participants in the back to work allowance scheme was 6,617. This includes two strands; the back to work enterprise allowance with 4,405 and the back to work allowance (employee) with 2,212. The employee strand has been closed to new applications since 1st May 2009 but existing participants continue to receive payment.

A separate short-term enterprise allowance was introduced on 1st May 2009 for people who qualify for jobseeker's benefit, subject to certain conditions. The total number availing of this scheme at the end of October 2009 was 818. Figures for the back to education allowance are collated on the basis of the academic year. There were 11,646 people in receipt of allowance for the 2008/2009 academic year. The figures for the 2009/2010 academic year will be significantly higher with over 18,700 applications approved by the end of October 2009. The community employment scheme is administered by FÁS which is under the aegis of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. Figures provided by FÁS show that there were 21,481 participants in community employment schemes at the end of October 2009. This figure excludes 1,417 supervisor posts.

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 360: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the steps she will take to ensure the retention of secondary benefits such as rent supplement will apply to persons who qualify for the short-term back to work scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41298/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Rent supplement is administered on behalf of the Department by the Community Welfare Service of the Health Service Executive as part of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. It is intended as a short-term income support to eligible tenants whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs.

In order to respond effectively to the growing numbers on the Live Register and the current employment situation, it was decided in the context of the supplementary budget to refocus resources on the enterprise strand of the back to work allowance which supports people into self employment. A new scheme called the sort term enterprise allowance was introduced on 1st May 2009. Claimants who qualify for jobseeker's benefit can gain immediate access the scheme, provided they have 104 contributions paid or have established entitlement to statutory redundancy from their latest period of employment. It is payable at the same rate and for the same duration as jobseeker's benefit. The Department is actively considering the retention of rent and mortgage interest supplements for those who participate in the scheme.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 361: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be approved and awarded jobseeker's allowance; if the payment will be approved retrospectively in view of the fact they were entitled to apply sooner. [41395/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The person concerned applied for jobseeker's benefit on 25 May, 2009. However, his claim was closed as he failed to provide details regarding his employment. It is open to him to re-apply and he should contact his local Social Welfare Office in this regard.