Alan Farrell (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will open up retraining facilities provided by her Department to persons who are unemployed but not eligible for jobseeker's allowance due to their partner or spouse earning a low to middle income salary; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16968/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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There are no retraining facilities under the remit of the Department of Social Protection. Training programmes for unemployed people are generally provided by FÁS or through further education providers and come under the remit of the Department of Education and Skills.

Persons who are unemployed but not eligible for a jobseeker’s payment are generally eligible to take part in training courses. However, only those participants who were receiving a jobseeker’s payment prior to commencing training may be eligible to receive a training allowance while undertaking a course.