Beverley Flynn (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Question 362: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if he intends to amend the qualifying criteria for the rural social scheme to include other categories of social welfare recipients (details supplied). [11730/05]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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To be eligible to participate in the rural social scheme, a person must have a herd number and be in receipt of farm assist or have a valid herd or flock number and be in receipt of one of the following social welfare payments: unemployment assistance; unemployment benefit, if previously on a FÁS community employment scheme; or disability allowance.

Self-employed fishermen whose fishing boats have been entered in the register of fishing boats or who have been issued with a fishing licence for fishing for salmon at sea from the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, and who are in receipt of the following social welfare payments are also eligible for the scheme: unemployment assistance; unemployment benefit, if previously on a FÁS community employment scheme; or disability allowance.

A review of this scheme will be undertaken by my Department within the coming months. That review will include an examination of the current eligibility criteria.