Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 268: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 41 of 28 January 2010 if she will examine the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 15 applying for the technical employment support grant to apply for a course to see if they are eligible to receive the maximum level of support referred to; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32430/10]

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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At the end of May 2010 it was decided to adjust the funding available through the Technical Employment Support Grant (TESG) from €950 to €500 in order to maximize the number of clients who could benefit from this support. In 2009 in excess of 12,000 grants were approved and at the end of August 2010, 11,291 grants have been approved.

The Technical Employment Support Grant (TESG) is used where a FÁS Employment Services Officer, during the course of a guidance interview, identifies that a particular category of jobseeker has a support need in order to enter/re-enter the labour market, and that this need cannot be met by FÁS directly or any other state provider within a reasonable period of time or location. A fund of up to €500 per jobseeker or 100% of the cost of the programme, whichever is the lesser amount, may be available for qualifying jobseekers. The TESG grant should not be combined with Department of Social Protection grants and/or the Local Employment Service Mediator Fund grants.

The programme should be accredited up to and including FETAC level 6 or equivalent awards on Ireland's National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) and the Provider is to be a certified approved provider under the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ). Should a training intervention be identified that is not within the NFQ, this may be approved by the local FÁS Employment Services Manager. Grants for programmes not on the NFQ will only be approved for other 'legitimately' certified or 'approved' programmes.

The administration of individual cases is a day-to-day matter for FÁS as part of its responsibility under the Labour Services Act 1987.