Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Fine Gael)
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425. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if consideration will be given to allocating funding in order that persons in receipt of jobseeker's allowance can train and qualify as special needs assistants; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24006/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The Department provides a range of second chance education opportunities for unemployed people, lone parents and people with disabilities. The Department's objective in this area is to raise educational and skills level among the long term unemployed, in order to help them to meet the requirements of the labour market. The back to education programme was introduced to provide a comprehensive range of options from which an unemployed person can choose, or be directed to, the most appropriate for his/her needs. Amongst the supports available are the back to education allowance scheme (BTEA) and the part time education option (PTEO). These supports may be available to persons on qualifying social welfare payments. Courses leading to a qualification as a special needs assistant may be eligible for both these schemes.

A person wishing to pursue a course of study under the back to education allowance will have to satisfy a number of conditions such as being a certain age, in receipt of a prescribed social welfare payment for a specified time period, pursuing a full time course of study leading to a recognised qualification in a recognised college and progressing in the level of education held by the client with reference to the national framework of qualifications among others. BTEA is essentially a social welfare replacement income which is paid in lieu of the relevant social welfare payment that qualifies the applicant for participation in the scheme.

Courses of education from second level to Higher diploma level (H Dip) in any discipline (level 8 in the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) or a Professional Diploma in Education (Primary and Secondary Teaching; level 8 in NFQ) are eligible courses. Some private colleges are recognised for back to education allowance purposes provided the course being pursued has HETAC , FETAC or Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) recognition.

However, if a person wishes to pursue a part time education course they may be able to do so while retaining their jobseekers payment under PTEO of the back to education programme. They must apply at their local social welfare office and verify that participation on the course does not reduce their availability for work and that they are genuinely seeking work.

The Department of Social Protection does not offer specific income supports for students outside of the back to education programme and there are no plans to provide additional funding other than the back to education programme for courses leading to a special need assistant qualification.