Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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411. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she agrees with An Taoiseach (details supplied) that it is not the Government's intention to deny the €500 lump-sum payment to those who have come off disability allowance on a temporary basis to undertake Solas training courses; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61947/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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My Department has acted very quickly to deliver the Disability Support Grant and other budget measures within an exceptionally short timeframe. Wherever possible, budget measures that are usually implemented in the January to March period of the year following a Budget announcement, have been brought forward and implemented within a period of weeks. While this early issue of payments was very challenging it was possible to achieve for people paid directly by the Department’s own payment systems.

I can confirm that it is the intention that people on training courses, having previously been in receipt of a Disability Allowance payment, will receive the €500 Disability Support Grant.

When undertaking training courses, recipients of Disability Allowance move off the Department’s payment systems and transfer to a Department of Further, Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science-funded Training Allowance. As a consequence, it was not possible to process early payment of the Disability Support Grant to these recipients.

My officials have examined this issue in conjunction with their colleagues in the Department of Further, Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science with a view to this payment being made as soon as possible.