Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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200. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if her Department will fund training for persons on long-term unemployment benefit to facilitate their becoming qualified bus or train drivers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36516/15]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The Training Support Grant (TSG) is designed to fund quick access to short-term training where this cannot be provided by a State provider within a reasonable time or where a intervention is identified that can support individual jobseekers to access work opportunities. Access to the scheme is via the Department’s case officers who are tasked with identifying support interventions for jobseekers, particularly where a job opportunity has been identified or where an intervention will enable an application for work to be made. The scheme is activation focused and the jobseeker is required to provide reasonable evidence or grounds of need (for example in the form of a potential job offer) or a requirement to maintain or achieve accreditation. The Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) for professional bus and truck drivers is eligible for support under TSG. Support for train driving instruction is not supported under any of the Department’s schemes.