Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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648. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will allow apprenticeships to be considered as full-time education to allow those in receipt of payments such as the guardian's payment to continue receiving it in respect of a child up until the age of 22 in circumstances in which that child is in full-time education rather than just seeing full-time education at second or third level; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14996/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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My Department provides a range of supports for families with children. In most cases, these payments can be made until the child reaches age 18 or until the child reaches age 22 where they are engaged in full-time education. This is the position with regard to Guardian's Payment, whether contributory or non-contributory, to which the Deputy refers, as well as other payments such as Increases for a Qualified Child which can be paid with a range of social welfare payments.

Full-time education is defined in Regulations for this purpose. For someone to be considered in full-time education requires their attendance at a course of full-time instruction, on a full-time basis, by day, at an institution of education. With the exception of Youthreach, courses provided by Solas which attract an allowance are not included in the definition. Similarly, courses which form part of an employment or work experience programme, which arise from employment, or which include an extensive period of work experience are also not included in this definition.

An apprenticeship is a training and education programme, which mixes learning in a college or training institution with work-based learning in a company. At least half of apprenticeship learning is done on the job. To become an apprentice in Ireland a person has to be hired by an employer. As an apprentice, a person will have a formal employment contract, and they will be paid a salary during their apprenticeship training.

An apprentice is in quite a different position to a person covered by the current definition of "full-time education". The current arrangements ensure that support is targeted at those parents whose children are not in a position to earn their own income due to the fact of being engaged in full time education and recognise that those parents are likely to continue to incur costs in light of their child's continuing education. There are no plans to change the definition full-time education as proposed by the Deputy.