Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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368. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the reason the new professional masters in education is excluded from the back to education allowance scheme; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that excluding this new course from the BTEA will mean that low-income or working class students will be unable to access this course and in turn will be effectively barred from the teaching profession in future years; the reasons for this position. [19395/14]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Post-graduate courses that lead to a higher diploma in any discipline or the professional diploma in education (PDE) are the only eligible post-graduate courses supported under the back to education allowance scheme (BTEA). The professional masters in education (PME) will replace the current PDE from September 2014. The Department is currently in discussions with the Departments of Education and Skills and Public Expenditure and Reform on extending the current eligibility of BTEA to the PME.