Dominic Hannigan (Meath East, Labour)
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922. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to reinstate the training allowance for persons who are engaged on community-based training programmes, to ensure that these allowances are available to everyone, regardless of their financial situation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22221/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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Training allowances are aligned to participants' social welfare entitlement and so take account of means and other factors.

An additional training allowance used to be paid for long term unemployed people. This was introduced during a period of high employment levels as an incentive for the long term unemployed to participate in FÁS (now Education and Training Board) training courses including community based training programmes. The payment was reduced as part of Budget 2011 and as part of Budget 2014 it was decided to cease this payment for all participants commencing courses after 1st January 2014. This took account of the very different employment situation compared to when the bonus was introduced. Travel supports continue to be available to these Education and Training Board participants where appropriate. It was a decision taken in the context of the overall savings this Department had to find for 2014 and future years. It was taken against a difficult budgetary background and there is no scope to re-visit it.