Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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509. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the assistance she can provide regarding an application for back to education allowance for a person (details supplied); if the particular circumstances and urgent nature of the application will be taken into account; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23773/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) guidelines provide for customers to be approved for courses of education as part of their education progression, up to degree level, on the basis that their employment prospects would be enhanced.

Customers with level 7 or level 8 qualifications are not entitled to apply for courses in another area. The approved course must be part of a natural progression up to level 8. The only postgraduate courses recognised for BTEA are a Higher Diploma (H.Dip) in any discipline, or the Professional Masters in Education.

According to Departmental records the person concerned has a Masters qualification. He applied for BTEA to undertake a Masters (level 9) course in Irish Writing and his application was subsequently refused in accordance with BTEA guidelines.

The person concerned has been informed that BTEA is a non-statutory scheme. Applications are examined by a Case Officer, in accordance with the guidelines and are then subject to the approval of a Deciding Officer.

It is open to the person concerned to request a review if he is not satisfied with the outcome. Any review requested would be undertaken by an independent Case Officer on the basis of additional information supplied by the person concerned as well as the BTEA guidelines.

I trust this clarifies the matter.