Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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243. To ask the Minister for Social Protection his views on the gap in provision for essential equipment for a person (details supplied) on a training course who is expected to pay €500 for tools because his or her address is different from other participants on the same course who have been provided with the same equipment without charge. [18274/16]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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There is no provision within the existing funding streams of the Department of Social Protection to cover tools or other similar accoutrements that can assist a trainee in their work. The Department’s network of Intreo Offices does not have access to a grant or subsidy to pay for the provision of such equipment.

The Department of Social Protection contracts for the provision of a Local Employment Service (LES) with 23 organisations across the State in areas of particular disadvantage. LES services include mediation support to clients living within a specified catchment to help place them into jobs. The mediators have access to a limited Mediator Fund. This fund is available where a mediator identifies that a client needs an additional support to facilitate their entry the labour market and that this need cannot be met by any state provider. The Mediator Fund can be used to support a client to purchase tools to allow him/her to take up a particular job.

There are a number of LES organisations serving clients in the north Dublin area based in Ballymun, Finglas and Coolock. There is no LES in the Swords area and therefore no additional support of this nature is available to clients living in that catchment area.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.