Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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145. To ask the Minister for Social Protection his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding contributions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20223/16]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) is designed to support jobseekers to undertake second chance education. A person wishing to pursue a course of study under BTEA must satisfy a number of conditions such as age and in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment for a specified period of time amongst others.

The period for which a person is required to be on a jobseeker’s payment is 234 days (which is equivalent to 9 months if signing full-time). However, a person who receives statutory redundancy - and who has an entitlement to a qualifying social welfare payment immediately prior to commencement of an approved course of study - may have immediate access to the BTEA.

BTEA is designed as one of the key State support to address the obstacles to re-entering the labour market for customers on long term social protection payments. It should not be considered as providing a universal form of support to engage in education - such supports are provided by SUSI under the Department of Education and Skills.

The conditions under which the BTEA operate are designed to ensure that they address the objective of supporting our longer term social welfare customers into employment and it is not envisaged that the current arrangements will be modified.

I hope this clarifies the issue for the Deputy.