Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 July 2012
288 Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason the back to education allowance is not available to students undertaking the graduate medicine programme in view of the fact that the issue of displacement does not arise; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33662/12]
View answerThe back to education allowance (BTEA) is a second chance education opportunities scheme designed to remove the barriers to participation in second and third level education by enabling those eligible to certain social welfare payments to continue to receive a payment while pursuing an approved full-time education course that leads to a higher qualification than that already held. A person wishing to pursue BTEA will have to satisfy a number of conditions such as being of a certain age, in receipt of a prescribed social welfare payment for a specified time period, pursuing a full time course of study leading to a recognised qualification in a recognised college and progressing in the level of education held by the client with reference to the national framework of qualifications (NFQ) among others.
The entry requirements of the graduate medicine course to which the Deputy refers require a person to already hold an honours degree in any discipline which is level 8 on the NFQ. As indicated above, a person who already possesses a level 8 qualification is not eligible for the BTEA. State support for education purposes is grounded on a student progressing from one qualification level to a higher one. The progression criteria is essential and applies to all courses of study. The scheme was never intended to be an alternative form of funding for people entering or re-entering the third level education system.
