Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 1: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the plans he has to revise the rural scheme to allow more flexibility for fishermen to participate in it in view of the financial crisis currently facing the fishing community; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25058/08]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The rural social scheme, RSS, was established to provide income support for low income farmers and fisherpersons who are in receipt of certain specified social welfare payments and to provide certain services of benefit to rural communities.

The renewal process, for the fifth year of the rural social scheme, to commence on 26 July 2008, is currently under way. All rural social scheme participants who are interested in renewing their place on the scheme for the coming year are required to complete the revised 2008-09 renewal form and provide documentary evidence that they are engaged in either a farming or a fishing activity. In the case of a fisherperson, a copy of a relevant licence or permit must be provided with their renewal form.

The scheme is currently available to a wide variety of persons engaged in fishing activity. Fisherpersons that meet any of the following criteria may be eligible to participate in the rural social scheme: a self-employed fisherperson on a fishing boat, which has been entered in the register of fishing boats and a self-employed fisherperson whose boat has been issued with a pot fishing licence. The Department of Communication, Marine and Natural Resources introduced this for small fishing boats such as currachs which traditionally have fished for lobster and were mainly unlicensed; a self-employed fisherperson who has been issued with a commercial eel fishing licence from one of the seven regional fisheries boards; a self-employed fisherperson who has been issued with a dredging licence for shellfish from one of the seven regional fisheries boards; holders of an aquaculture licence issued by the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources; permit holders for shell fishing issued by a registered co-operative; and a self-employed fisherperson who held a commercial salmon fishing licence that issued from one of the seven regional fisheries boards.

However, it should be noted that this latter category has not applied to new applicants since 26 July 2007. The salmon hardship scheme had not been finalised by the rural social scheme renewal date in 2007 and an exception was made to allow participants holding a commercial salmon fishing licence at that time to renew their 2007-08 contract.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House.

For those existing participants who have still not received compensation under the salmon hardship scheme I am making a further exception for the 2008-09 contract year by allowing them to renew their contract again provided they satisfy all other conditions. This category is being kept under review and local implementing bodies will be able to advise those participants of any further updates.

Currently there is a provision for 2,600 participant places on the RSS, all of which have been taken up and quotas have been assigned to each of the implementing bodies.

I am fully aware of the current situation regarding the fishing community, however, I am not considering a further expansion or revision of the rural social scheme at this time. I advise anyone who may be interested in joining the RSS to contact their local implementing body which have been encouraged to form a waiting list of suitable eligible applicants to fill vacancies as they arise on the scheme.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The reason I tabled this question is that the fishing industry is going through a critical time at present. Costs have increased by 40% due to the increased cost of fuel. There are many in the fishing industry whose accounts have been taken from the previous year. Also, they are not in receipt of job seeker's allowance. Given that funding of €214 million has been allocated to the rural social scheme I ask the Minister to create a scheme that will allow more flexibility for fishermen to participate in it, particularly the self-employed who cannot go on job seeker's allowance because they are employed and whose accounts are taken from the previous year, otherwise the industry will not exist in a year's time. I ask the Minister to at least give them some help in the short term until the fuel crisis is over.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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What the Deputy appears to be saying, if I understand him correctly, is that the reason the fishermen, to whom he has referred, are not eligible is because of the means test.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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That is right.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Fish assist or farm assist is based on 80% of one's income over the actual period. My understanding — I stand corrected if I am wrong — is that if one has a dramatic fall in income from a self-employed basis and one applies for farm assist or fish assist, the Department will take that into account. It is not obliged to take the full previous year's income into account.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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It takes into account last year's income.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I am not a social welfare expert but it seems to me there is an income issue in regard to means testing. For argument sake, let us keep the rural social scheme aside. The Deputy said the person has no income.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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No.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The Department takes that into account. I suggest the Deputy raise that matter with the Minister for Social and Family Affairs. I must have some way of gauging a person's income, the reason for which is simple. There are only 2,600 places and we want to direct them towards those on low income. For example, there could be a fisherperson who had other business interests or whose spouse or partner had a large income. In all of these schemes family income is taken into account. It would be wrong that such a person could get on the scheme to the exclusion of a person on a much lower income. Therefore there must be some way of gauging a person's income. If there is a problem with the means test, I suggest the Deputy take it up with the Minister for Social and Family Affairs.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I wish to ask a straight question in regard to the rural social scheme. Is a person with a herd number eligible for the rural social scheme? Has the Department changed the criteria in respect of the scheme? Those in receipt of the rural social scheme received a letter today in which they were asked to give evidence that they are actively farming. If there are changes in regard to eligibility for the scheme will the Minister please outline them to the House?

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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That is a good question. Initially we assumed that if one had a herd number one was an active farmer. I recall that somebody in the Deputy's county wrote to the Department complaining that a person in receipt of the rural social scheme was not a farmer, that the herd number was inactive and long dead. The person had no cattle or sheep but had the herd number. That issue posed a dilemma. Reluctantly, the criteria had to be changed, and we had to specify that the person had to be an active farmer.

John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Ceann Comhairle)
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The time for dealing with the question has expired.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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We specified that one had to be an active farmer. On the form one must prove, in any one of four ways, that one is an active farmer. For example, a letter from the DVO stating that one has an active herd number, that is, the DVO has a record of one having stock, would suffice. Also a copy of one's area aid application for the current year would suffice. If the person has a problem I suggest he or she gets in touch with the Department. If one can prove one is an active farmer, genuinely farming, I promise there will be no problem. Some people thought they had to comply with the four criteria.