Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy clearly does not realise we are in a bailout programme if he imagines that we can give money willy-nilly to everybody in the country under every possible scheme. The rural social scheme provides income support for farmers and fishermen who were in receipt of certain social protection payments. In return, those participating in the scheme are engaged in supporting the provision of a broad range of services of benefit to rural communities. The scheme is delivered and managed at a local level through 35 local development companies and by Údarás na Gaeltachta in Gaeltacht areas. The funding provision enables 2,600 participants to work for 19.5 hours per week, supported and monitored by 130 supervisor positions.

I am pleased to inform the Deputy that it is not anticipated that any change in the scheme's operation will be made in 2013. Once again, his concerns are unwarranted. In fact, the Department of Social Protection has provisionally provided €45 million to meet the costs arising next year. As with all areas of expenditure, the Department will seek to deliver the scheme for better value and proposals to this end will be made to the local development companies and Údarás na Gaeltachta in the coming weeks. Participants in the scheme are contracted annually to work their hours in a manner that meets their farming or fishing requirements. Continued participation is limited to those who maintain an entitlement to the underlying social protection payments and meet other criteria in respect of farming or fishing. While it is not intended that each participant will remain on the scheme indefinitely, there is no time limit for participation once the underlying eligibility for social protection payments remains. Eligibility for the scheme is limited to those in receipt of farm or fish assist or a range of other specified social protection payments. All participants must be actively engaged in farming or fishing and spousal swaps are permitted in the case of an eligible person not wishing to participate. Given the nature of the underlying qualifying criteria, participants are required to confirm that they continue to be eligible.

The scheme has been an important catalyst, as the Deputy observed, in the development and underpinning of a range of services in rural areas. In particular, services to older people which are widely available in urban areas could not otherwise be delivered in rural communities. Significant improvements to the rural environment are also being made through the maintenance of the built heritage, improvements to and maintenance of community amenities and support for a range of community activities which build on existing social and community infrastructure. Nearly 3 million hours of work are delivered annually by participants. While the benefits to communities are key outcomes of the scheme, the benefits to participants are wroth noting. Although the financial benefits can be relatively small in individual cases, they are nevertheless important. Equally important are the related benefits of participation for individuals who may, due to changes in social, farming practices and rural demography, be socially isolated.

See this speech in context