Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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336. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if there are supports through community welfare services for direct provision centres for the cost of pre-test driving lessons and Safe Pass fees. [28695/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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My Department’s Intreo Employment Services team works with jobseekers to identify supports and interventions to assist them to become job ready. This includes support with accessing training. The Community Welfare Service has no function in this area.

Safe Pass is a mandatory safety awareness training programme for construction workers. The Safe Pass programme is operated and managed by SOLAS, the Further Education and Training Authority. Generally the employer pays for the Safe Pass course.

The Training Support Grant (TSG), available through my Department, 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. The grant can be used for training up to level 6 on the QQI or training such as safe pass, driving licences, HACCP or security industry permits as appropriate. The scheme is not designed to substitute training funded under other programmes and agencies, such as SOLAS or the Education Training Boards.

The primary focus of this scheme is on jobseekers and on supporting the activation policy of the department. International protection applicants with permission from the Department of Justice to access the labour market may also be considered for TSG funding. There are qualifying conditions and all applications require prior approval. Anyone interested in applying should first contact their Local Intreo Office to speak with an Employment Personal Advisor.