Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail)
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568. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications in 2015 and 2016 to date under the back to work allowance scheme; the maximum, minimum and average times it is taking to process an application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10594/16]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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There are two schemes to assist people on certain social protection payments who wish to become self-employed; namely the Short Term Enterprise Allowance and the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance (BTWEA). The Short Term Enterprise Allowance provides immediate support to those who qualify for jobseekers benefit wishing to set up a business. Payment under the scheme is at the same rate and for the same duration as their entitlement to jobseekers benefit. The Back to Work Enterprise Allowance is designed to provide a monetary incentive for people who are on social welfare payments to develop a business while allowing them to retain a reducing proportion of their qualifying social welfare payment over two years - 100% in year 1 and 75% in year 2. The BTWEA is generally available to persons who are on a qualifying social welfare payment for 12 months or longer.

At the end of December 2015 there were 396 people availing of the Short Term Enterprise Allowance and 11,881 people availing of the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance, 6,543 of these were awarded in 2015. To date in 2016 there are 395 availing of the Short Term Enterprise Allowance and 11,601 people availing of the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance, 2,022 of these were awarded in 2016.

Before an application is approved business proposals must be recommended by a local development company or enterprise office. Given the nature of the business planning development process the Department does not collate statistics on claim processing times.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.