Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 364: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications for back to education allowance received in each of the past five years to date in 2011; the number granted or refused in the same period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3809/11]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The back to education allowance (BTEA) scheme 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.

Annual statistics are collated by the Department for the number of participants awarded the back to education allowance on the basis of the relevant academic year. Participants in the scheme transfer from another social welfare payment. Because these claims are not recorded as a separate scheme until the person transfers from their primary payment to the back to education scheme, statistics are not available on the number of applications received or refused entry to the scheme. Accordingly, the number of applications received or refused the allowance is not available.

As of 21st January 2011, in the region of 25,000 participants were approved the BTEA scheme. This represents a 20% increase on the 2009/10 academic year where the number of participants was 20,808. The 2009/2010 academic year saw an increase of 79% on the previous academic year. (Table 1 details number of participants in the previous 5 full academic years).

Table 1 – BTEA participants 2005/06 to 2009/10

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 365: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons currently in receipt of a basic supplementary welfare payment pending determination of a claim; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3810/11]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The supplementary welfare allowance scheme is administered on behalf of the Department by the Community Welfare service. At 14th January 2011 there were 36,965 recipients of a basic supplementary welfare allowance payment of which some 26,000 are awaiting a payment from the Department.