Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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868. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the expenditure on the back to education allowance for each year for which data is available; if this cost covers fees and-or the student contribution charge; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30989/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Back to Education Allowance Scheme (BTEA) is designed to support second chance education. It enables eligible persons to pursue education and to continue to receive their weekly income support for the duration of a course of study. The main focus of the BTEA is to assist qualifying applicants to improve their educational qualifications and improve their prospects of gaining employment.

There has been are approximately 6,400 students supported through the BTEA for the 2020/2021 academic year. Government has provided €96.5 million for BTEA in 2021. This represents a considerable investment in supporting all unemployed individuals.

The BTEA is not intended to provide funding for student fees. The Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) Grant, payable by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, represents the primary support for people pursuing third level education and its administration is a matter for that Department.

The following outlines the expenditure on BTEA supports from 2015 to 2020:

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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869. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of recipients of parent’s leave and benefit by month in 2020 and to date in 2021, in tabular form. [31085/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Department is not in a position to say how many parents avail of the parents leave in a specific week or month as this data is not collated. Data on the number of claims to parents benefit that have been awarded each month in the period January 2020 to date is available and is set out in the table. It should be noted that while a claim may be awarded in one month, the leave and benefit could be availed of at a different time, or over a period of months, as it is available to use one week at a time.

I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.