Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 175: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the duration of claiming social welfare before a person can qualify to hold entitlements while participating in education programmes and the additional supports with education cost are provided if secondary benefits can be kept and if any changes are planned in the context of the four year budgetary plan. [44600/10]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I understand the Deputy is referring to the back to education allowance (BTEA) scheme. This is a second chance education opportunities scheme designed to remove the barriers to participation in second and third level education by enabling eligible people on social welfare to continue to receive a payment while pursuing an approved full-time education course that leads to a higher qualification than that already held.

With effect from 19th July 2010, changes have been made to the qualifying conditions of the back to education scheme to reflect the present economic situation. The qualifying period for jobseekers is three months for participation in a second level course. The period for which a person is required to be on a qualifying social welfare payment before accessing a third level course was reduced from 12 months to 9 months (a 2 year qualifying period continues to apply to participants coming from Illness Benefit). Since 2007, people who are awarded statutory redundancy may access the scheme immediately, provided an entitlement to a relevant social welfare payment is established prior to commencing an approved course of study.

In addition since 19th July, a person can avail of BTEA to resume studies in a second or subsequent year of a third level course whereas prior to July, a person could only apply for BTEA if s/he was commencing year one of a course. This also applies to people who are granted an exemption from a period of their third level course. A person who completed earlier year(s) of his/her third level course on a part-time basis but is now getting a jobseeker's payment, may apply for BTEA to continue the course on a full-time basis. The requirement to be in receipt of a social welfare payment for a minimum period has always been a feature of the scheme. A waiting period is considered essential to confer entitlement to income support for an indefinite period and is considered necessary in the context of targeting scarce resources at those who need it most.

BTEA is paid at a standard weekly rate equivalent to the maximum rate for the scheme from which the unemployed person transfers. It is not means-tested and changes in a participant's personal or family financial circumstances do not affect entitlement. In addition, an annual cost of education allowance of €500 is payable. Participants may continue to receive any secondary benefits to which they would otherwise have an entitlement to provided they continue to satisfy a means test.

The conditionality of the scheme will continue to be monitored in the context of the objectives of the scheme. Any changes would have to be considered in the context of the forthcoming Budget, having regard both to needs and to the resources available to meet those needs. In an uncertain economic environment, the priority will be to ensure that the Government strategy to stabilise the financial position is advanced and to protect those most in need in a manner which is sustainable in the years ahead.

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 176: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the latest terms prevailing for rent and mortgage interest supplement in respect of the minimum contribution to be made weekly by the applicant from welfare income; the maximum monthly ceiling on payments for eligible properties; the income that can be disregarded in the means test; the housing need that must be established to qualify; the circumstances in which the supplement can be retained after returning to full time work and if it is planned to change any of these terms in the context of the four year budgetary plans [44601/10]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Detailed guidelines in relation to the rent and mortgage interest supplement scheme are available on the Departments website (www.welfare.ie). These guidelines set out the type of information the Deputy has requested. I will arrange for a copy of these guidelines to issue to the Deputy.

Any changes made to the rent or mortgage interest supplement scheme will be considered in a Budgetary context, taking into account any other changes that are being considered to social welfare payments.

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 177: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the ceiling on gross earnings for retention of secondary benefits such as rent supplement [44608/10]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The existing rent supplement assessment provides for a gradual withdrawal of payment as hours of employment or earnings increase. Those availing of part-time employment and/or training opportunities can continue to receive rent supplement subject to their satisfying the standard means assessment rules. Where a person has additional income in excess of the standard weekly rate of supplementary welfare allowance, the first €75 of such additional income together with 25% of any additional income above €75 is disregarded for means assessment purposes. This ensures that those returning to work or participating in training schemes are better off as a result of taking up such an opportunity.

Rent supplement is not payable where a person or their spouse or partner is in full-time employment, i.e. for 30 hours or more a week. However, a person on rent supplement, who is accepted as eligible for accommodation under the rental accommodation scheme (RAS), may return to full-time work, subject to a means test, without losing entitlement to their rent supplement payment.

It is not possible to provide the ceiling on gross earnings to retain entitlement to rent supplements due to the many variables in determining a person's entitlement. Some of factors which affect the amount of rent supplement payable include:

- The accommodation cost,

- The household composition,

- Any special needs or circumstances the applicant may have or require,

- The applicant's earnings and its impact on the rate of primary scheme payable (e.g. jobseeker's allowance/benefit, one parent family payment),

- The different types of incomes that an applicant may have, for example maintenance payment or income from investments and

- The location of the accommodation.

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 178: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the circumstances in which a person on one-parent family allowance can qualify for family income supplement when participating in a community employment programme. [44609/10]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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In order to qualify for family income supplement, a person must (inter alia) be an employee who is engaged in remunerative employment which is expected to last for at least 3 months and be working for a minimum of 19 hours per week or 38 hours per fortnight.

Article 175 in Part 6 of the relevant regulations (SI 142/07) specifically excludes employment in a community employment scheme as remunerative employment for the purposes of qualifying for family income supplement. Accordingly, a person participating in a community employment scheme cannot qualify for FIS.

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 179: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the rates at which child benefit is paid and the age limit. [44614/10]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 180: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the circumstances in which child dependant allowance can be paid beyond an 18th birthday. [44615/10]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 179 and 180 together.

Child Benefit is a universal payment that assists parents in the cost associated with raising children and it contributes towards alleviating child poverty. It is paid monthly in respect of all children up to the age 16 years and in respect of children over 16 years of age up to their 18th birthday who are in full time education or have a disability. The standard rate of payment of Child Benefit is currently €150 per child per month for the first and second child. A higher rate of payment of €187 per child per month is paid in respect of the third or later child in birth order.

With regard to child dependant allowances, it is assumed that the Deputy is referring to child dependant additions, which are now known as Qualified Child Increases (QCIs). QCIs are paid as supplements to weekly social welfare benefits and allowances in recognition of the need for greater incomes among benefit-dependent households with dependent children. A QCI is payable in respect of each qualified child who normally resides with the claimant. If a dependant is aged between 18 and 22 years a QCI is payable if s/he attends a full-time day course of study, instruction or training at a recognised institute of education.

Payment of the QCI can continue up to 22 years of age or up to the end of the academic year in which the child reaches 22 in the case of long-term payments as well as short-term payments that have been in payment for at least 156 days.

A qualified child increase is also payable after the dependant reaches age 18:

· for 3 months immediately after leaving second-level education or finishing the Leaving Certificate Examination, whichever is later,

· until the following 30 June or until they complete their full-time second-level day course, whichever is the earlier, or

· for the summer holiday period up to the beginning of the next academic year for students in third level education.

If the dependant reaches age 22 during an academic year while attending a full-time day course of education, they continue to be regarded as a qualified child up to the end of that academic year provided they continue to receive full-time education.