Patrick Nulty (Dublin West, Labour)
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432. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the total savings made by abolishing the €300 cost of education allowance for back to education allowance recipients; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27362/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The Revised Estimates for my Department provide for estimated expenditure of €189.3 million on the back to education allowance scheme in 2013. The discontinuation of the cost of education allowance will yield savings of €7.8 million per annum. The BTEA scheme remains an attractive scheme for social welfare recipients who wish to further their education and compares very favourably with other State funded supports for those pursuing education. A significant majority of those entering the scheme are in receipt of the maximum personal weekly rate of payment of €188 per week and, in addition, increases for qualified adults and children may also be payable. These rates of payments were fully protected in the last two Budgets.