Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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174. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to implement a review of the eligibility guidelines for acceptance onto the Springboard+ programme in view of the continuing fall in unemployment, the increase in the non-EU population and recent changes enabling asylum seekers to participate in the workforce; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43436/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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Springboard+ which incorporates the ICT skills conversion programme, is a targeted initiative which is primarily used to provide funding for higher education courses aimed at meeting the need for in-demand skills in the economy and supporting jobseekers to return to employment.

In 2017 the eligibility criteria was expanded to include homemakers and those in employment including those in self-employment who wish to upskill, reskill or cross skill in the Biopharma/Med Tech sector and  those in employment, or self-employment in the ICT sector who wish to upskill from a level 7 to a level 8 qualification.

The eligibility criteria for Springboard+ are reviewed by my Department on a regular basis in consultation with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection. 

In drawing up eligibility criteria for those in employment, a decision was made to align the criteria with that of the existing ICT Conversion Courses under Springboard+ and the Department’s Free Fees Initiative for third level education, i.e. a student must have been ordinarily resident in an EU/EEA/Swiss state for at least 3 of the 5 years prior to entry to their third level course of study in order to qualify to participate on the programme.  This rule applies to all individuals regardless of their citizenship.