Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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149. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to include driver training courses as part of the eligible items for grant support under the enterprise support grant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30010/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Enterprise Support Grant is a fund which provides supports towards certain business start-up expenses for back to work enterprise allowance recipients who are commencing in self-employment. This grant is awarded with business start-up expenses where the costs have received prior approval from a Department case officer. The new Covid-19 Enterprise Support Grant for the self-employed coming from PUP is available towards business re-start costs. This grant is not a training support.

There may be alternative grant support to assist with driver training such as the Training Support Grant which is designed to support quick access to short-term training where the training is not delivered by a State provider.  The grant can be provided where an immediate skills gap is identified that represents an obstacle to taking up a job offer or accessing other opportunities. 

If there is a particular case that the Deputy is referring to, the details should be forwarded to my Department for review. 

I trust this clarifies the matter.