Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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164. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if lone parents in receipt of the one-parent family payment, who are engaging in Springboard courses and who are in receipt of a Student Universal Support Ireland grant to cover fees will have to exit their studies once their youngest child reaches seven years of age. [11204/15]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Springboard is an initiative that strategically provides higher education courses to unemployed persons who have lost jobs in sectors where former employment levels will not return, to enable them to upskill, or re-skill, for work in areas where there are identified labour market skills shortages or employment opportunities.

Springboard courses are free and, therefore, they do not incur any fees. As such, students who are availing of a Springboard course would not be in receipt of student universal support Ireland (SUSI) grants (maintenance or fees).

Given that there is no work conditionality attached to the one-parent family payment (OFP) scheme, recipients of the payment can participate in full-time education programmes, including in the Springboard initiative.

Procedures have been agreed between the Department and the Department of Education and Skills (D/ES), to ensure that all OFP recipients who are participating in education when their entitlement to the OFP payment ends will be able to complete their course with income support, subject to means.

OFP recipients who are participating on Springboard courses can move to the jobseeker's allowance (JA) transitional arrangement once their entitlement to the OFP payment ceases. Customers in this situation can continue to avail of education, whilst in receipt of the JA transitional payment, until the completion of their studies.