Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 16 Dec 2003

Vol. 577 No. 3

Written Answers. - Social Welfare Code.

Emmet Stagg

Ceist:

588 Mr. Stagg asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of persons who will be affected by her review of the back to education allowance scheme at 1 January 2003 which disallowed participation in the scheme for postgraduate qualifications; if she will reconsider the decision by allowing existing participants in the scheme up to 1 January 2003 to claim the back to education allowance for postgraduate qualifications due to the fact that when they entered the scheme originally, this option was available to them and natural justice dictates that the rules should not be changed in midstream; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30892/03]

Minister for Social and Family Affairs (Mary Coughlan):

The back to education allowance is a second chance education opportunities programme designed to encourage and facilitate certain groups of social welfare recipients to improve their skills and qualifications and, therefore, their prospects of returning to the active work force. As the Deputy is aware, the conditions for entitlement to back to education allowance were revised with effect from 1 January 2003. The scheme does not apply to certain full-time postgraduate courses from that date. Participants on the scheme who had commenced postgraduate courses of study prior to this change continue to receive funding under the scheme to the completion date of the course for which they had applied. Following this revision, only those applicants wishing to take up a higher diploma in any discipline or a graduate diploma in primary school teaching have been approved for participation in the scheme at postgraduate level.

Some 149 such students are pursuing such courses of study in the 2003-04 academic year. Of the 135 applications for postgraduate courses which were refused as a result of the change in the postgraduate criteria, 108 were refused because they failed to satisfy one or more of the other qualifying conditions for the scheme. I am satisfied that there has been full consideration of natural justice in implementing this revision of the rules of entitlement. The postgraduate element of the scheme is a separate element requiring separate application. There is no automatic entitlement to the postgraduate scheme for those undertaking a course at primary degree level. Some 191 postgraduate students who commenced postgraduate courses prior to 1 January 2003 are availing of the scheme even though they are pursuing courses that are no longer within the remit of the scheme. A total of 340 students are in receipt of the allowance while pursuing postgraduate courses in the 2003-04 academic year.

The person mentioned by the Deputy was a participant in the back to education allowance scheme from September 1999 to May 2003 while pursuing a four year primary degree. In September 2003, he applied for further participation in the scheme to pursue a postgraduate qualification. This qualification is outside the revised scope and objectives of the scheme. This application was disallowed because the person concerned has already achieved a high level of academic attainment while participating in the scheme, which has already enhanced his prospects of securing employment. In a time of financial constraint, I have to ensure that supports are directed at those with the most pressing needs. In this context, limited resources must continue to be aimed at those in most need and who are most distant from the labour market. Having participated in the scheme for four years and having attained a high standard in his primary degree examinations, I consider that the outcome in the case raised by the Deputy does not give rise to any concerns in terms of natural justice.