Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 63: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding the back to education allowance in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; if the matter will be reviewed with a view to issuing payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28745/12]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The focus of Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) scheme 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 person in question is currently in receipt of illness benefit. The eligibility criteria for participation in the BTEA scheme require a person to be in receipt of illness benefit for at least two years prior to commencement of their approved course of study. However, if a person fails to satisfy the two year requirement on illness benefit, periods spent on other qualifying social welfare claims can be used to make up the two year qualifying period provided that at least 50% of the two years is spent on illness benefit. The 50 % rule is relaxed for persons in receipt of illness benefit and subsequently qualifies for another qualifying illness related payment.

A person in receipt of illness benefit can pursue a course of study while receiving payment without recourse to BTEA if it is medically certified that pursuit of the course will not impede his or her recovery. The records of the Department indicate that no recent application has been made for BTEA.