Minister for Social Protection Leo Varadkar has announced details of where the 500 extra places on the Rural Social Scheme (RSS) for farmers and fishermen will be allocated.
Under the terms of the scheme, participants provide 19.5 hours a week on a local rural or community project in a return for a top-up on their social welfare payments.
The increase brings the total number from 2,600 to 3,100. It is the first increase since 2006, when the numbers increased by 100 from 2,500 to 2,600.
I am a big fan of the Rural Social Scheme
The largest new allocation is in Co Mayo, where 641 new places have been announced. This is followed by Galway, where 325 places have been created, followed by Donegal (308) Kerry (304) and Cork (210).
Minister Varadkar said he is "a big fan" of the scheme and if the additional places are successful, he will seek extra places for 2018.
“I am a big fan of the Rural Social Scheme,” Minister Varadkar said. "It provides an opportunity to farmers and fishermen to make off-farm income in areas where there are few opportunities to do so, brings money into rural and coastal communities and gets valuable work done on the ground. I am very pleased to be in a position to allocate 500 additional places around the country and if successful, I will seek extra places for 2018."
Types of projects
Participants of the scheme work on the following type of projects:
Looking after waymarked ways, agreed walks and bog roads;Energy conservation work for the elderly and the less well off;Village and countryside enhancement projects;Social care and care of the elderly such as meals on wheels;Environmental maintenance work such as Tidy Towns projects;Helping non-profit cultural and heritage centres. The scheme is delivered through 35 implementing bodies or local development companies, and Údarás na Gaeltachta.
Eligibility criteria
Participants must be actively farming or fishing with an underlying entitlement to a qualifying Department of Social Protection payment, such as Farm Assist, in order to be eligible. Most participants receive a weekly payment of €188 a week (equal to the maximum personal rate on Farm Assist) (rising to €193 from mid-March), and an additional €22.50 top-up per week under the RSS.
Participation is voluntary and is dependent on the availability of vacancies in the relevant locality. As this scheme is administered on a local level by implementing bodies on behalf of the Department, a person should, in all instances, contact their local development company for any further information, or for an application form.
Minister for Social Protection Leo Varadkar has announced details of where the 500 extra places on the Rural Social Scheme (RSS) for farmers and fishermen will be allocated.
Under the terms of the scheme, participants provide 19.5 hours a week on a local rural or community project in a return for a top-up on their social welfare payments.
The increase brings the total number from 2,600 to 3,100. It is the first increase since 2006, when the numbers increased by 100 from 2,500 to 2,600.
I am a big fan of the Rural Social Scheme
The largest new allocation is in Co Mayo, where 641 new places have been announced. This is followed by Galway, where 325 places have been created, followed by Donegal (308) Kerry (304) and Cork (210).
Minister Varadkar said he is "a big fan" of the scheme and if the additional places are successful, he will seek extra places for 2018.
“I am a big fan of the Rural Social Scheme,” Minister Varadkar said. "It provides an opportunity to farmers and fishermen to make off-farm income in areas where there are few opportunities to do so, brings money into rural and coastal communities and gets valuable work done on the ground. I am very pleased to be in a position to allocate 500 additional places around the country and if successful, I will seek extra places for 2018."
Types of projects
Participants of the scheme work on the following type of projects:
Looking after waymarked ways, agreed walks and bog roads;Energy conservation work for the elderly and the less well off;Village and countryside enhancement projects;Social care and care of the elderly such as meals on wheels;Environmental maintenance work such as Tidy Towns projects;Helping non-profit cultural and heritage centres. The scheme is delivered through 35 implementing bodies or local development companies, and Údarás na Gaeltachta.
Eligibility criteria
Participants must be actively farming or fishing with an underlying entitlement to a qualifying Department of Social Protection payment, such as Farm Assist, in order to be eligible. Most participants receive a weekly payment of €188 a week (equal to the maximum personal rate on Farm Assist) (rising to €193 from mid-March), and an additional €22.50 top-up per week under the RSS.
Participation is voluntary and is dependent on the availability of vacancies in the relevant locality. As this scheme is administered on a local level by implementing bodies on behalf of the Department, a person should, in all instances, contact their local development company for any further information, or for an application form.
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