Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if an exemption will be made for a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; if they will be paid for the duration of their training on a FÁS course in view of the fact that FÁS allowed them to remain training on a course knowing that their employer had not supplied all the documentation to meet the requirements for participation in the redundant apprentice placement scheme. [11167/13]

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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I am informed by FÁS that the individual in question did not participate on the FÁS Redundant Apprentice Placement Scheme. He completed Phase 7 of his apprenticeship with his employer. I understand that FÁS does not pay any apprentices when they are with their employer for Phase 1, Phase 3, Phase 5 and Phase 7 of their apprenticeship training. The payment of the apprentice in these phases is a matter between the apprentice and his/her employer. FÁS is not in a position to grant an exemption in this case.

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he has given any consideration to awarding a travel allowance to participants in the momentum training programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11506/13]

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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The awarding of travel allowances to participants on the Momentum Programme was discussed between the relevant Government Departments when the Programme was being designed last year. In the design of the scheme, consideration was given to the question of additional payments but in the current difficult economic circumstances, it was decided that no additional payments, other than the retention of social welfare benefits, was warranted.

Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if invalidity pension is an eligible scheme for qualifying for a springboard course and if not, whether it can be included in view of the fact that its allowance-based counterpart, disability allowance, is an eligible scheme. [11610/13]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Springboard is not a general education measure. It is a specific initiative that strategically targets funding of free part-time higher education courses to enable unemployed people who have lost jobs in sectors where employment levels will not return, to upskill or reskill in areas where there are identified labour market skills shortages or employment opportunities. To be eligible for a place on a Springboard course a person must be unemployed, actively seeking employment, and be in receipt of one of the qualifying Social Protection allowances (as listed on www.springboardcourses.ie) or be signing for credits or be previously self employed. Invalidity Pension is not one of the qualifying payments for Springboard 2012. A call for proposals for courses to be run under Springboard 2013 issued to higher education providers at the end of February. It is expected that details of the courses that are approved together with the eligibility criteria will be available on the dedicated information and applications website www.springboardcourses.ie in June 2013.