Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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332. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she plans to review the back to education allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34088/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The back to education allowance (BTEA) is a scheme that allows persons in receipt of certain social welfare payments the opportunity to pursue a course of study, while still maintaining their income support, subject to satisfying a number of conditions. 

The Programme for Government commits to a review the Back to Education Allowance, to ensure that

it can help those unemployed as a result of COVID-19 to access education and training. In response to this, and as part of the July Stimulus, the condition on the qualification period of up to nine months was waived for recipients of the pandemic unemployment payment wishing to return to education.  Someone in receipt of the pandemic unemployment payment is required to transfer their claim to a jobseekers payment to access the BTEA and can do so without any qualification period.

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 unemployed individuals to access education.

I trust this clarifies the matter.