Vol. 396 No. 2
14 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Welfare the proposals he has to allow persons who are on disability benefit, in some cases for many years, to take part in the Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The vocational training opportunities scheme affords long term unemployed persons the opportunity to attend a full-time educational and training course leading to a certificate. The scheme, which was piloted as the educational opportunities scheme by my Department is now administered by the Department of Education. It is available in 13 centres with almost 200 participants and it is intended to progressively extend the number of centres throughout the country.
The scheme is targeted at the long term unemployed. Studies have shown that there is a link between lack of educational attainments and long term unemployment. There are no plans, at present, to extend the scheme to categories other than the long term unemployed. However, the Deputy may be interested to know that a recipient of disability benefit or invalidity pension may in certain circumstances be allowed to attend a course of education while continuing to receive his payment.
My Department has approved attendance at third level courses and leaving certificate courses for some recipients. Each application from an incapacitated person is treated on its merits having regard to the individual circumstances of the recipient.
The Minister is not excluding recipients of disability benefit from taking part in vocational training but they must notify the Department in advance of taking up the course. We would all accept that this type of training could be therapeutic and may assist the recipient of disability benefit to get back into the workforce. It certainly would not be injurious to their health.
Let us proceed by way of supplementary question, please.
Would the Minister entertain applications from individuals to participate in this without putting their disability benefit in danger?
Yes, but it is, of necessity, done on an ad hoc basis because a recipient of disability benefit could be somebody who is receiving the benefit temporarily and returning to work at some stage. Long term disability benefit is a different question and in such circumstances maybe those arrangements could be made. For example, permission has been granted for persons to participate in rehabilitation courses and approval has been given to some persons in respect of attendance at third level courses and courses leading to leaving certificate. These would tend to be people on long term disability benefit and invalidity pensions.
