My Department is committed to breaking down cost barriers, making Further Education and Training (FET) more accessible than ever before. To date in 2025, my Department has spent over €57 million on training allowances to support the engagement and success of eligible learners who face financial barriers in FET. This figure excludes apprenticeship state allowances and allowances paid to learners in Specialist Training Providers.
SOLAS's FET Learner Allowances Policy sets out that the eligibility criteria for the Christmas Bonus is determined by the Department of Social Protection (DSP). The bonus is payable to long-term social welfare recipients and certain training allowance recipients who meet the qualifying conditions set out by that Department. Where a learner was in receipt of a qualifying DSP payment immediately before commencing their FET course, the time spent on that payment can be combined with the time on the training allowance to meet the 12-month requirement.
In the case of VTOS participants, most learners have been in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment prior to joining the programme and retain an underlying entitlement when they transfer to a VTOS training allowance. As a result, they are more likely to meet the eligibility criteria for the Christmas Bonus, provided they have been on a qualifying payment or training allowance for at least 12 months.
Youthreach learners, on the other hand, are generally aged between 16 and 18 and do not have an underlying social welfare entitlement. Consequently, they are unlikely to qualify for the Christmas Bonus. For those who join Youthreach at age 18, eligibility requires that they have an underlying social welfare entitlement and meet the qualifying conditions set by the DSP.
