I propose to take Questions Nos. 272, 308, 316 and 326 together. The payment of an additional training allowance of €31.80 per week for the long term unemployed was introduced during a period of high employment levels as an incentive for the long term unemployed to participate in former-FÁS training courses. The payment of this allowance was later extended to those persons in receipt of social welfare disability payments to introduce equality of treatment for all people in training. The payment was reduced from €31.80 per week to €20 per week as part of Budget 2011. In the present economic situation this incentive is no longer considered appropriate and as part of Budget 2014 it was decided to cease this payment for all participants commencing courses after 1st January 2014. This change does not apply to persons who commenced a course prior to January 2014 who will continue to receive the long term unemployed bonus payment for the duration of their course. Travel supports continue to be available to participants. Up to the end of June 2014, approximately 3,918 trainees have been affected by this change. This is a decision taken in the context of the overall savings this Department had to find for 2014 and future years. It was taken against a difficult budgetary background and there is no scope to re-visit it. The overall saving arising from this measure, which also applies to the Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme, is estimated at €2.1 million in 2014 and €6.7 million in a full year.
