Invalidity pension - 40 hour course exemption?

Hi, a friend of mine is on Invalidity Pension for past few years and has seen a course he would like to do through FAS. They have told him to apply for a 40 hour exemption from Social Welfare to allow him to participate. Anybody know if this is possible to get and would it affect your Invalidity pension entitlement by doing a 40 hour a week course? thanks.

This from the Invalidy Pension guidelines should explain things:

1. A claimant may, with the prior written permission of an officer of the Minister, for a specified period of time undertake the following types of work or training:
2. having become permanently incapable of following his or her usual occupation, a course of training with a view to taking up some other occupation.
3. work in the nature of rehabilitation or occupational therapy.
4. light work for which no remuneration is or would ordinarily be payable.

A CLAIMANT MUST OBTAIN WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM THE DEPARTMENT BEFORE STARTING WORK/COURSES. FAILURE TO OBSERVE THE ABOVE CAN LEAD TO THE DISALLOWANCE OF THE PENSION AND TO LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.
Any Invalidity claimant who wishes to obtain an exemption, from Condition 2 of the Conditions for claimants in Receipt of Invalidity Pension, to participate in a FAS training course or in a CE scheme should contact his or her local FAS Office. All first-time requests for exemptions received through FAS will be granted automatically.
In all other cases, the application together with a recommendation from the claimant's GP and details of the proposed training/work are forwarded to a Medical Advisor.
During the period covered by the exemption, the claimant will not be sent for medical examination by the Department's Medical Advisors.

Invalidity pension - course exemption

Thank you. Thats great, worth applying for and see what happens so. Thanks again!!