Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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358. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the amount of funding that is provided to community and voluntary groups for computer training through the benefit funding programme; the number of groups that benefitted from same; if it will be continued in 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42153/13]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Over €5.5m has been allocated by my Department to the BenefIT digital engagement and skills schemes since their commencement in 2008. To date approximately 79,000 people nationally have participated in and benefited from these programmes including just over 1,000 people trained under the fourth programme which has recently got underway.

On 29 July 2013, I announced the first tranche of Grants under the new digital skills grant scheme – BenefIT 4. During August 2013, grants totalling €691,256 were paid out to seventeen grantees. The grantees mostly comprise community and voluntary sector organisations. Because of the partnership approach used, a grantee usually partners with a number of other groups or organisations to deliver the training and as result approximately 200 groups are involved in the programme. Under the BenefIT 4 programme training is currently available at over 500 locations nationwide. These locations are illustrated on the new online training finder map recently developed by my Department and available at www.eInclusion.ie A breakdown of the grants awarded to date is given in the table. The second tranche of grant funding will be paid out in December 2013 based on the performance criteria of the scheme. Training will continue under the BenefIT 4 scheme throughout 2013 and into 2014.