Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 228: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 634 of 1 June 2010, if she will confirm whether a person (details supplied) meets the criteria in terms of being unemployed and entitled to remain on and receive free fees on their programme of study under the Labour Market Activation Programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26068/10]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Labour Market Activation (LMA) initiative almost 1,800 unemployed people were supported to embark on part-time undergraduate and postgraduate programmes from September 2009 in areas that support the goals of the 'Smart Economy'.

Subject to institutional requirements regarding passing exams and course progression, students who are unemployed, i.e. on the Live Register, are entitled to remain on and receive free fees on their programme of study. If a student gains employment, they will not be required to pay fees for the academic year during which they get a job, however fees will be charged for any subsequent academic years. The fee level is set by each individual institution and information on the fee to be charged for individual courses is available from the institution concerned.

All students participating on these programmes who continue to meet all Department of Social Protection criteria on eligibility for Job Seekers Benefit and Job Seekers Allowance are entitled to retain their payments while studying on the programme. However participation on a programme does not in itself create an entitlement to a social welfare payment.