Most new places under the support scheme for low-income farmers and fishermen will go towards the western and northwestern counties where the RSS was already most widely used.

Co Galway and Co Mayo will see most new places open, with 47 and 44 respectively. Co Donegal is next with 25 new places. For the first time, the scheme will be accessible in Co Dublin with six places allocated to the Fingal Leader Partnership.

"Overall this represents an increase of over 28% in the places available under the RSS in the past two years – from 2,600 to 3,350," Minister Doherty said, highlighting the scheme's role in allowing "participants to remain involved in farming or fishing in their local areas".

The allocation of places is detailed in the table below.

County 

Number of new RSS Places

Carlow

3

Cavan

8

Clare

12

Cork

12

Donegal

25

Dublin

6

Galway

47

Kerry

8

Kildare

2

Leitrim

10

Limerick

20

Louth

2

Mayo

44

Meath

2

Monaghan

10

Offaly

10

Roscommon

10

Sligo

10

Westmeath

2

Wicklow

2

Other - Islands

5

The RSS is open to active farmers claiming the BPS and a social welfare payment such as Farm Assist, as well as fishermen. Participants provide 19.5 hours a week on a local rural or community project such as caretaking at community and sporting facilities, maintenance of public amenities including walkways and bog roads or social care activities such as meals on wheels or after-school activities for children. In exchange, they receive a top-up of €22.50/week on their existing social welfare payment, bringing it to a minimum of €220.50/week for an individual.

This rate includes a €5 increase applicable to all individual weekly social welfare payments from next Monday.

To apply for a place, you can contact the local implementing body for your area as listed on the Department of Social Protection's website.

This year's 250 new RSS places follow the allocation of 500 new places in the previous year's budget after a 10-year freeze.

Read more

Budget 2018: 250 extra places in Rural Social Scheme