Marc MacSharry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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97. To ask the Minister for Social Protection to relax the criteria for applications under the back to education allowance scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8501/16]

Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The objective of the Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) is to assist those who are distant from the labour market to acquire the necessary education to improve their chances of becoming independent of the social welfare system. Administration of BTEA by this Department is aligned with the student support schemes under the Department of Education and Skills.

The Allowance enables social welfare customers in receipt of certain payments to pursue full-time education courses and to continue to receive income support in the form of the BTEA, subject to the customer remaining eligible for a DSP payment. In general, most customers will also have certain registration and related college fees paid by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI).

The operation of the BTEA has been comprehensively revised over the past two years and I have no plans to further alter the current criteria, as set out in the 2016 scheme guidelines.