Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 236: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if persons who are on community employment schemes will be allowed into the rural social scheme when the community employment schemes finish. [16004/05]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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To be eligible to participate in the rural social scheme, RSS, a person must be in receipt of farm assist or have been allocated a valid herd or flock number from the Department of Agriculture and Food, and be in receipt of unemployment assistance, unemployment benefit if previously on a community employment scheme or disability allowance, or be a self employed fisherman whose fishing boat has been entered in the register of fishing boats or have been issued with a fishing licence for fishing for salmon at sea from the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, and be in receipt of unemployment assistance, unemployment benefit if previously on a community employment scheme or disability allowance. During the first year of operation, participants on community employment who meet the criteria for the rural social scheme are eligible to apply to transfer over to the RSS. My Department is at present reviewing the rural social scheme including the question of eligibility criteria for the scheme.

Paddy McHugh (Galway East, Independent)
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Question 237: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the position regarding the requirement for community groups to carry continuous public liability insurance on projects funded by IRD funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16018/05]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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The purpose of this requirement, contained in the operating rules for Leader + and the area based rural development initiative is to indemnify the Minister and the Department against any claims or losses arising from a project. It is considered prudent that this requirement remains in place in order to protect public funds. However, I will keep this matter under review.