Vol. 529 No. 4
236 Dr. Upton asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will provide funding for people studying second chance and adult education courses to be given a weekly allowance to encourage attendance at training programmes such as those run by the Adult Education Centre, Warrenmount, Dublin 8. [2953/01]
The centre in question provides adult literacy and basic education programmes, and community employment schemes. Under the vocational training opportunities scheme, my Department provides free tuition and a training allowance in lieu of welfare entitlements to long-term unemployed adults over 21 who are attending full time programmes. VTOS participants who are long-term unemployed prior to starting their programme receive an additional bonus of £25 per week. A limited scheme also operates under which vocational education committees may provide basic education in disadvantaged areas either free or at nominal cost.
The Department of Social Community and Family Affairs also operates a discretionary part-time option scheme under which unemployed people may attend a part-time education course without it affecting their unemployment payment. In all cases, a training allowance paid in the education sector is in lieu of a welfare payment.
In the White Paper on adult education, Learning for Life, the key priority is to expand access, particularly for those with less than upper secondary education, and to develop a comprehensive range of supporting services. Given the scale of the task, with upwards of 1.1 million adults with less than upper second level education, my priority is to extend free tuition for part-time courses to those who are medical card holders, in receipt of means tested welfare payments or family income supplement and their dependants. It is not envisaged that funds would be available for an additional payment for participants.
