Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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74. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will approve and expedite an appeal under the carer's allowance scheme in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14345/15]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 12^thMarch 2015, who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral hearing.

The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements.

Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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75. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the way persons who are signing on for credits can access a community employment scheme; and her plans to address this matter. [14362/15]

Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Persons signing for credits only (i.e. not in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment) are ineligible for Community Employment. There are no plans to change this.

Unemployed persons not in receipt of payments may, however, be eligible to avail of other up-skilling opportunities, for example, through ETB training for unemployed people. At present, there are 1,009 upcoming day courses and 552 upcoming evening courses. Although not eligible to receive a training allowance while undertaking the course, they may receive some support for expenses on travel, meals and accommodation.

In addition, persons who sign for credits for three months (78 days) of the last six months are eligible to participate in the JobBridge programme.

Persons signing on for credits for 12 months or longer over the previous 18 months are eligible to participate on Momentum courses through SOLAS, provided that they have been actively seeking work.

Persons signing for credits for six months or more are entitled to participate on ETB-run VTOS courses subject to availability. In the case of VTOS courses, participants do not receive a training allowance but may receive travel and lunch allowances.

Springboard and Skillnets courses for unemployed people, funded through the Department of Education and Skills, are also open to people regardless of their social welfare status.

Many other services are also available to people who are not in receipt of a social welfare payment. For example employment services, such as advice on job-search activities and the use of online job search tools, are available to people if they register with the Department’s employment services offices regardless of their social welfare status.

The Government is committed to supporting as many people as possible to participate more fully in employment and to become more self-sufficient by providing supports that address barriers they may encounter in finding and sustaining employment.