Tom Neville (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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51. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the status of the expansion of the rural social scheme following budget 2017; the way the extra places will be spread throughout the country; when this will take place; the funding that is being put forward for the scheme in 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35718/16]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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As part of the social welfare budget package for 2017, I announced a €5 increase in the weekly rate of payment for rural social scheme participants from March, and an additional 500 places on the scheme. This will increase the overall number to 3,100. The level of funding allocated to the scheme for 2017 will increase to €47.6 million.

Deputies on all sides of the House are fully aware of the positive benefits derived from schemes like the rural social scheme. While communities benefit from the skills and talents of local farmers and fishermen, participants also have the opportunity to improve existing skills, or develop new skills, while performing valuable work in their local communities. Community groups have benefitted from the many projects undertaken through the scheme with minimal cost to the Exchequer. The scheme has also played an important role in sustaining rural communities.

A request for expressions of interest in the additional places was recently sent to all rural social scheme implementing bodies which administer the scheme on behalf of the Department. My Department intends allocating these places as early as possible in 2017, taking into account a number of factors. These include the number of places already allocated, the demand for places in particular areas, work opportunities available and the numbers of farmers and fishermen and women in receipt of income support.

It is not possible at this stage to give the exact locations as to where these additional places will be allocated. In order to qualify, all new entrants to the scheme will have to be over 25 years of age and, in addition, a six-year overall participation limit on the scheme will be introduced. This will ensure that there will be a throughput of places available and it will align the rural social scheme with other employment programmes.

Tom Neville (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister's statement on the expressions of interest and extra allocations in 2017. In my own constituency there has been a lot of good work done on this, particularly in my own parish of Kilfinny and in Grange, Knockaderry, Adare Templeglantine, Ballyhahill, Mountcollins, Newcastle West and Killeaney, for GAA clubs, soccer clubs and housing developments. It is important that the Department makes its decision on the allocations as quickly as possible because, given the positive outcomes there have been so far, we want to get moving on it.

A previous question asked about work experience and I have my own experience of that, having done the student scheme back in the 1990s in which I worked 200 hours for £600. It was extremely positive and it gave me great experience as a young student, which I later used to get jobs in the hospitality industry. The first thing a person is asked when they walk into a sandwich bar or a pub is if they have experience. It is important that experience is provided for these people, no matter what the field because skills can be transferred to other situations.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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In Limerick there are 73 participants in the rural social scheme and 163 on farm assist who could become eligible for the rural social scheme. Two development companies in Limerick participate in the rural social scheme, namely, West Limerick Resources and Ballyhoura Development and both have requested an expansion of their schemes. They will certainly be considered as favourably as possible when we make the allocations in the new year.

Tom Neville (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister again. It would be very much appreciated if he could move it on as quickly as possible in 2017.

Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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There is some indication from the groups that the criteria for the scheme will be changed. A person on farm assist who qualified for the rural social scheme would stay on that scheme for a number of years but now it seems there is a cap of three years, after which people have to break of three years before returning to it. It is almost like a CE scheme and this could be detrimental to the future of the rural social scheme. Does the Department have plans to put a cap on the rural social scheme? Has the Minister and the Department thought through the consequences of this? The rural social scheme will run out of participants in this case. Is it the aim to dissolve the scheme in the long term?

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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No, the aim is to retain and expand the scheme in the long term. There are 500 additional places for 2017 and requests have come in for 1,000 additional places. If things go well in 2017 I anticipate looking for a further allocation to increase the rural social scheme in 2018. There will, however, be a six-year limit for new entrants as we want some turnover within the scheme, rather than people being on it for life, and we want other people from the community to have the opportunity to take part, just as is now the case with CE.