Martin Ferris (Kerry North-West Limerick, Sinn Fein)
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Question 51: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the way the latest agreement between the Government and the EU-IMF affects the programme for Governments commitment to expand eligibility for the back to education allowance; and the position regarding the progress of her plans in relation to same. [10446/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The back to education allowance (BTEA) is one of a range of activation supports and policies with the objective of assisting social welfare recipients to improve their life chances by facilitating access to employment, work experience, education and training. The focus of BTEA is to assist those who are most marginalised and distant from the labour market to acquire the necessary education to improve their chances of becoming independent of the social welfare system. The BTEA scheme can offer 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.

The Programme for Government 2011-2016 includes a commitment to resource a Jobs Fund that will finance a number of measures which will play an important role in enhancing the employability skills of jobseekers. BTEA and all other relevant measures will be considered under this commitment. The EU/IMF programme of financial support does not directly impact on these commitments.