Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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838. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if full-time students in further and higher education can continue to receive the pandemic unemployment payment and enter new full-time further or higher education courses; if there is a planned date for these student-specific supports to end; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32374/20]

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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912. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will allow PUP recipients who wish to undertake vocational training opportunities scheme, VTOS, courses to remain on the PUP payment as long as it is available rather than being required to apply for the jobseeker’s payment before taking up such a course; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33207/20]

Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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914. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will allow recipients of the pandemic unemployment payment to access funding support to take up training courses including those provided by the education and training boards to ensure that those who have lost work can access opportunities to retrain or further their education while unemployed; if changes will be made to support those wishing to do so; if there are courses for which persons on the pandemic unemployment payment can apply for support; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33247/20]

Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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931. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if there is a requirement for a person on the pandemic unemployment payment wishing to undertake VTOS training courses to move onto jobseeker's allowance before they will be accepted onto a course; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33628/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 838, 912, 914 and 931 together.

The Back to Education Allowance has been extended as part of the July Stimulus in response to Covid-19. Ordinarily a person must be in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment for a minimum period before being eligible to apply for the scheme when pursuing training or education and these periods have been waived for those in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment. Similar arrangements apply for further education or VTOS delivered by SOLAS. This ensures that those who have lost their employment during the pandemic have immediate access to a range of educational options.

A person seeking access to further education will be required to make an application for a jobseekers payment. The Back to Education Allowance is payable at the jobseekers rate, currently €203 for the weekly maximum personal rate and increased allowances may be paid for qualifying adults and child dependents. The Back to Education may be payable for the duration of the course depending on the individual's circumstances and entitlement to the payment.

A person who is engaged in part time education may continue to avail of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment while they continue to satisfy the conditions of the scheme.

I would advise any person seeking to return to education to engage with their local Intreo Centre to assess their options.

I trust that this clarifies the position.

Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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839. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a childcare worker who is unable to work due to living with an extremely high-risk relative is entitled to the pandemic unemployment payment. [32386/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Pandemic Unemployment Payment Scheme is available to employees and self- employed people who have lost their employment and the income from that employment due to the pandemic, and who satisfy the other qualifying conditions of the scheme. The scheme is not available to an individual in the circumstances as set out by the Deputy.

People in the situation outlined who are experiencing financial hardship may be able to access financial support available under the means tested Supplementary Welfare Allowance.

From the outset of Covid-19, many employers will have taken the initiative to be as flexible as possible to support their staff. A person can also contact the Health and Safety Authority if they are concerned about how their workplace is responding to social distancing or other measures.

I trust this clarifies the position.

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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840. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the latest breakdown of those in receipt of the pandemic unemployment payment who were previously PAYE earners or self-employed, by county, in tabular form. [32392/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The information requested by the Deputy is detailed in the table below. The county breakdown is based on 239,112 of the 295,860 people still in receipt of Pandemic Unemployment Payments, as of the week ending 1st November 2020, who have made at least one PRSI contribution in 2018 (the latest full year of PRSI contributions available to my Department).