Ulick Burke (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 381: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of persons on the back to education allowance for each of the years 2007, 2008 and 2009; the cost for each of these years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10605/10]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Participants in the back to education allowance (BTEA) scheme transfer from another social welfare payment. Annual statistics are collated by the Department for the number of participants on the basis of the relevant academic year.

In the 2007/2008 academic year, there were 8,883 participants in the back to education allowance scheme and this rose to 11,646 in 2008/2009. At the end of December 2009, there were 20,808 participants and this number is unlikely to change significantly in the remainder of the 2009/2010 academic year.

The expenditure on the back to education allowance scheme in 2007 was €64.142million and this rose to €77.136million in 2008. The provisional outturn for 2009 is €107.315 million.

Changes to provide for earlier access to the scheme announced in the April 2009 supplementary budget contributed to the significant increase in uptake in the 2009/2010 academic year.

The back to education allowance has an important role to play in enhancing the employability skills of jobseekers. The nature and structure of the scheme will continue to be monitored in the context of the objectives of the scheme and changes in the economic climate.