Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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200. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the processing times for the back to work enterprise allowance in Dublin 15; and if a delay exists, the measures that will be put in place for the timely processing of applications. [25826/18]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Back to Work Enterprise Allowance (BTWEA) applicants are required to produce a business plan as part of the application process so that the viability of the new business can be considered. The length of time it takes to prepare a business plan can vary from case to case depending on the nature and complexity of the proposed enterprise.

Regarding the processing time for BTWEA applications in Dublin 15, all claims for BTWEA are awarded within a week of the proposed start date of the new business. For claims that are disallowed, the customer is issued with a disallowance within one week of the receipt of the application. It is open to the customer to request a review if they are dissatisfied with the decision.

Where a customer proposes to start their business on a particular date, staff approve the claim a week before the proposed start date so that the customer receives their primary payment up to commencement of the BTWEA allowance.

There is currently no delay in the Dublin 15 area and all applications are dealt with in a timely fashion.