Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

356. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if one-day fork truck operator renewal or refresher courses are available in County Wexford to experienced fork truck drivers that are currently unemployed or in receipt of social welfare payments via his Department; if one day fork truck operator renewal or refresher courses were previously available via his Department; if so, the reason the courses are no longer available via his Department; and if he will reconsider the decision to end the courses. [16285/17]

Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

357. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the cost to his Department per person undertaking available fork truck operator training courses for the unemployed or those in receipt of social welfare payments in County Wexford from 2013 to 2016. [16286/17]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 356 and 357 together.

The Training Support Grant (TSG) funded by my Department is designed to facilitate quick access to short-term training that is identified to assist an individual jobseekers access immediate work opportunities. The scheme is activation focused and the jobseeker is required to provide reasonable evidence of need, in the form of a potential job offer or a requirement to maintain or achieve accreditation.

The one day fork truck operator renewal and refresher courses are eligible for support under the TSG. The cost of fork-lift training courses in the south east (Wexford and Waterford) are in the range of €200 to €450 and the number of courses funded in this area for the years 2013 to 2016 is set out in the table below.

Number of Fork-lift/Warehouse Referral courses funded by TSG 2013 - 2016

Access to the TSG scheme is arranged with the Department’s case officers and a jobseeker who wishes to access training under this scheme should contact their local Intreo Centre where the case officers are located.

The case officer will identify appropriate support interventions required with a customer, particularly where a job opportunity has been identified by the customer or where an intervention will enable an application for work to be made. The maximum fund available to jobseekers under the scheme is €500 per annum.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.