Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 17 June 2021
345. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons with disabilities currently availing of the training support grant that was introduced in 2020; and the breakdown of groups of disabled persons that are applying for the grant. [32535/21]
View answerThe Training Support Grant (TSG), available through my Department, can be used for the purchase of training (where this cannot be provided by a state provider within a reasonable time) or for certain other expenditures such as purchase of tools or travel costs to job interviews. The TSG can be made available to jobseekers who have registered with the Employment Service and undertaken a guidance process leading to an agreed career plan, and who are in receipt of certain specified welfare payments, primarily jobseekers’ and lone parent payments as well as payments related to disability and long-term illness.
As part of the July Stimulus the funding available through this grant was doubled from €500 to €1,000. There is a provision of €11.3m for this support in 2021 to assist with the training needs of up to 12,000 individuals.
The grant assisted approximately 3,000 jobseekers with short-term training needs in 2020. Statistics are not maintained on the number of individuals with disabilities assisted under this grant.
Also announced in Budget 2020 was the extension of the facility of the Training Support Grant through Employability Service contractors. The administrative measures to support this extension are being put in place and it is expected to be operational shortly.
