Shane Cassells (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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110. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to alleviate the hardship and social exclusion experienced by persons over 25 years of age and those in the one-parent family payment scheme who cannot afford to participate in education and training as they receive just €4 per week in subsistence payments while participating in courses under the local training initiative and under the auspices of the Education and Training Boards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16532/16]

John Halligan (Waterford, Independent)
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Learners who are in receipt of One Parent Family or Disability payment continue to receive these payments from the Department of Social Protection while participating in certain education and training programmes, including the Local Training Initiative. Learners who were in receipt of Job Seekers Benefit or Job Seekers Allowance receive a training allowance in lieu of their Department of Social Protection payment for the duration of their course.

They are also eligible for meal and travel allowances and for childcare support under the Childcare in Education and Training Scheme which is operated by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. The meal allowance is €4 per week and the travel allowance is as follows:

3-5 miles€4.605-10 miles€11.9010-20 miles€17.6020-30 miles€21.6030-40 miles€27.7040-50 miles€32.60

Under the Childcare in Education and Training Scheme learners on a full time course pay €25 per week towards the cost of childcare and the remainder is funded by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs.

There are no plans at this stage to review the payment arrangements on these programmes.