Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 80: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if in conjunction with the Department of Social Protection he can identify the availability of extra back to education places; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31236/12]

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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In the Programme for Government we undertook to introduce a better approach to how the State engages with and supports the unemployed to get back into the workforce. This approach is set out in "Pathways to Work". It seeks to build on existing Government policies to ensure that as many new job opportunities as possible are filled by those on the Live Register.

"Pathways to Work" points out that at a time of reducing resources the Government is committed to maintaining the resourcing of a significant number of Training and Education places in 2012. Provision is being made for some 457,400 places. "Pathways to Work" also contains details of job placement, work experience and back to education supports for over 85,000 beneficiaries through the Department of Social Protection.

"Pathways to Work" sets out the mechanism through which supports will be made available to those that are unemployed. People will be referred to education, training or Department of Social Protection supports as appropriate. FÁS and VECs have been requested to prioritise the long-term unemployed in their 2012 provision and interim referral protocols, which will facilitate the referral of unemployed people from welfare offices to VEC further education programmes, have been agreed, to complement existing referral protocols between welfare offices and FÁS. In higher education, Springboard is a specific initiative to provide free part time places for unemployed people in areas where sustainable job opportunities are likely to arise as the economy recovers.