Michael Cahill (Kerry, Fianna Fail)

The question is to ask the Minister for Social Protection his plans to provide increased flexibility in the rural social scheme and if he will make a statement on the matter. The rural social scheme was introduced in the first instance by former Minister Éamon Ó Cuív in 2004. I pay tribute to him for that. Of course, he was the first ever full Cabinet Minister with a specific brief for rural Ireland. I wish to thank all the participants and their supervisors in County Kerry for the tremendous work they have carried out for a number of years and for making our county an even better place to live. Last year, a report on the review of the RSS was published. This review was to look at the role of the RSS and its ongoing relevance in the changing landscape, the funding and resourcing required, along with the appropriate governance and management arrangements. The key findings from the RSS report include that the RSS provides an important social inclusion and income support function for low-income farmers and fisherpersons.

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