Michael Cahill (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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99. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection his plans to provide increased flexibility in the rural social scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21421/25]

Michael Cahill (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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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.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Deputy Cahill for his question. As he said, the rural social scheme plays an important role in the life of rural communities. I wish to highlight and thank every participant, supervisor and sponsoring company for their work in this space. The RSS provides an income support and part-time employment opportunities for farmers and fishers who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments and who may be underemployed in their primary occupations.

A review of the RSS was published in July 2024 in Newport, County Mayo, with 19 key recommendations to address the sustainability of the rural social scheme to further add to its flexibility. I am happy to report that a number of the recommendations are being implemented, including from this year replacing annual contracts with the provision of three-year contracts to existing RSS participants. Instead of the current annual review process, the renewal process will now be undertaken at three-yearly intervals for those under 60 years of age while existing RSS participants who reach the age of 60 will not be subject to any further review of means or circumstances until they exit the scheme at the age of 66. The implementing bodies have also been asked to explore options with people who are exiting the rural social scheme to encourage them to participate as volunteers within the company, in particular those who have reached 66 years.

I am continuing to explore options to implementing the remaining recommendations. Officials are engaging with other relevant Departments and agencies as part of this process. Some of the recommendations we are exploring in this process include the recommendation to extend the RSS on a pilot basis, with 250 places to be made available to rural dwellers who, although not engaged in farming or fishing, are over 50 and are on a relevant social welfare payment. I have asked my officials to expedite that particular work. The other recommendations are to allow a couple engaged in farming or fishing to both access the scheme and to extend the scheme to those engaged in farming or fishing who may not be the holders of a herd number or a fishing license but who have what is termed a defined connection to the farming or fishing enterprise.

I am very aware of the extraordinary contribution the RSS makes. Once again, I highlight and thank RSS participants, supervisors and implementing companies throughout the country. I intend to work hard on this.

Finally, I endorse the remarks of Deputy Cahill in respect of former Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív and his work in this space.

Michael Cahill (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister. I welcome the proposed increase in age limits. That is welcome. The scheme should now be made more flexible to include all people living in rural Ireland on low incomes. The RSS delivers to rural communities key community services including the maintenance of sporting facilities, community recreation areas and waymarked walking routes. Declining participation since 2019 is causing a concern that rural communities may be left without key community services.

The report includes 19 recommendations to address the sustainability of the RSS to continue providing income support. Will the Minister provide an update on the implementation of the recommendations on income support? The review also recommended an extension of the RSS to environmental initiatives and that consideration be given to the feasibility of establishing a grant fund that would be available for work on biodiversity initiatives. Is that happening?

I wish to avail of this opportunity to call for better pay and conditions for he supervisors who run these important schemes and without whom the RSS would not be the great success story that it is today.

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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I welcome the opportunity to say a couple of words on the rural social scheme. I welcome the flexibility the Minister has introduced. I want him to look in particular at meals on wheels. Yesterday, Lorraine from Claremorris, Martina and Peter from Louisburgh and Deirdre from Castlebar were in Leinster House. One of the issues that were raised regarding the RSS was the need to allow two people to get onto the scheme rather than just the herd owner. It is vital. They find that they cannot continue their meals on wheels service without having some flexibility. They want generators as well. As the Minister knows, in Storm Éowyn they were a vital lifeline. If he will give them the flexibility under the RSS to meet the needs of particular rural areas and continue providing these vital services, it would be welcome. I will work with the Minister in trying to get this done.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Deputies Cahill and Conway-Walsh for their remarks. Regarding the review, we have fully implemented five recommendations. Actually, I had a meeting yesterday with officials on the remaining ones, including extending eligibility to people not directly engaged in farming or fishing but who have a connection to a rural community and the issue of two people accessing it. I have asked them to come back to me on those issues.

Regarding Deputy Cahill's comments on biodiversity, we are committed to exploring opportunities with key stakeholders that will provide options for grant funding for green initiatives and to further explore options for those who wish to volunteer their time to local services. My Department is engaging with officials in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and in my other Department of Rural and Community Development as well as local authorities, which are important in this space, to allow us to deliver collectively on the recommendations in the RSS review. Most importantly, we will continue to engage with the farming and rural development organisations.

I am aware that, despite the fantastic work of the scheme and its supervisors and so-called implementing bodies, there are vacancies in schemes all over the country. I know those can be filled if we have the right flexibility.

There are vacancies and schemes all over the country that I know can be filled if we have the flexibility. One feature relating to all of these schemes - RSS, Tús and CE - is that I want there to be a greater understanding within my Department that they are no longer just labour market activation schemes; they are far greater than that. Something we want to see is that these schemes have a social employment value but also are of social value to participants on the scheme and provide services to communities, as referred to by the Deputy, that otherwise would not be available. We would be a far poorer country without the work done by RSS, CE and Tús schemes.