USI BTEA Protest

national | miscellaneous | news report Wednesday April 23, 2003 17:31 by Noel Hogan - USI dep_president at usi dot ie

STUDENTS CONTINUE PROTEST OUTSIDE GOVERNMENT DEPT OVER SLASHING OF BACK TO EDUCATION ALLOWANCE

Students today began their second day of a rolling picket outside the Department of Social Affairs at Store Street, Dublin to draw attention to the slashing of the Back to Education Allowance (BTEA). The allowance is available to long-term unemployed, independent parents and people on disability allowances who wish to return to education, but the payments will now be stopped during the summer months. USI revealed last week that they intend to look into the possibility of obtaining an injunction before the courts go into recess.
Colm Jordan, President, USI said:
"This Government is currently making loud noises in public about seeking greater access to third-level education, yet a scheme as vital and worthy as the Back to Education Allowance has now been looted in yet another cutback.
Payment of the allowance has now been suspended for a quarter of the year and students can no longer claim the BTEA for postgraduate courses.
Participants had a legitimate expectation that the terms of the BTEA would be fully implemented and that they would receive continue payments for the duration of their course.
Students were informed three months after the decision was taken and just five weeks before exams in a callous attempt to restrict appeals. In total, 6,473 single parents, people with disabilities and long term unemployed who were brave enough to return to education have received a kick in the face from this Government rather than the hand up they had been promised."

Noel Hogan, Campaigns Officer, USI said: "The purpose of the Back to Education Allowance is to offer a second chance to the long-term unemployed. Changes to the allowance were made with no regard or thought for the most vulnerable members of society, with the information not even posted on the Department's website.
407 recipients of the allowance have been in contact with us over the cutback, many of whom are seriously considering giving up the dream of a college education.
This Government has reneged on virtually all its election promises and introduced cutback after devastating cutback, so in a sense this is indicative of their actions. Rather than becoming numb to these betrayals, we feel it is vital to fight each one more vigorously than the last. This picket will last indefinitely to draw attention to this injustice."