Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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102. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will amend the regulations related to the time a person must be in receipt of social welfare payments before being eligible for the back to education allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39866/14]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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A person wishing to pursue a course of study under the back to education allowance (BTEA) scheme must satisfy a number of conditions. These include age, being in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment for a specific period, be pursuing a full-time course of study leading to a recognised qualification in a recognised college and be progressing in the level of education with reference to the National Framework of Qualifications among others. The qualifying period for the second-level option is three months while the qualifying period for third-level courses is nine months prior to the date of commencement of the course. A person awarded statutory redundancy may access BTEA immediately, provided an entitlement to a relevant social welfare payment is established. A waiting period is considered necessary in the context of targeting scarce resources at those who need them most. People who qualify for a social welfare payment need some time to engage in job search activities and to consider options available to them. The BTEA confers entitlement to income support for an extended period while in full-time education. There are no plans at present to modify the existing BTEA qualifying criteria for persons who are not in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment for the required duration.