Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 172: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will expand the eligibility criteria for the Springboard initiative to include persons in receipt of the back to work enterprise allowance. [35932/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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To be eligible for a place on a Springboard course an applicant must have a previous history of employment, and at the time of starting a Springboard course must be unemployed and in receipt of Jobseeker's Allowance, Jobseeker's Benefit or One Parent Family Payment or be signing for contribution credits. As all applicants must be available for and actively seeking employment, the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance is not one of the eligible payments.

The Higher Education Authority (HEA), which is managing Springboard on behalf of my Department, has commenced an evaluation of all aspects of the roll-out of Springboard in 2011. The outcome of this evaluation will inform decisions in relation to the further development of the Springboard initiative in the future.