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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 19 Feb 2003

Vol. 561 No. 5

Written Answers. - Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme.

Mary Upton

Ceist:

198 Dr. Upton asked the Minister for Education and Science if a person (details supplied) in Dublin 12 is entitled to funding to enable them to go on a VTOS course. [5017/03]

The details supplied are insufficient to determine the eligibility of the person referred to, to take a course under the vocational training opportunities scheme, VTOS. The general conditions for eligibility are as follows: participants must be over 21 years of age and in receipt of unemployment assistance-benefit, one-parent family payment, disability allowance-benefit, invalidity pension, deserted wife's allowance-benefit, blind person's pension, widow-widower's contributory-non-contributory pension, prisoner's wife's allowance, or signing for credits or a dependent spouse of the relevant categories above. A VTOS student must be in receipt of one of these payments for at least six months, 156 days, immediately before starting the programme.

A person who had a prior entitlement to unemployment benefit or unemployment assistance receives a training allowance in lieu of their unemployment payment, at a rate equivalent to the maximum rate of unemployment benefit. Participants in receipt of other eligible social welfare payments will continue to receive payment from the Department of Social and Family Affairs. A weekly training bonus of €31.80 is paid to students who have been in receipt of an unemployment payment for 312 days directly before the course commencement date. Books and materials are provided free of charge and a student will be entitled to a travel allowance if he-she lives more than three miles from the centre.

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