Written answers

Tuesday, 8 November 2005

Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs

Rural Social Scheme

8:00 pm

Photo of Michael RingMichael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 468: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if a person (details supplied) in County Mayo can be allowed to remain on a rural social scheme when the contract is due for renewal. [32656/05]

Photo of Éamon Ó CuívÉamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The conditions of eligibility for which need to fulfilled in order to participate in the RSS are that applicants 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 or unemployment benefit if previously on CE or disability allowance; or be self-employed fisherpersons on a fishing boat which 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 or unemployment benefit if previously on CE or disability allowance.

The person in question, prior to commencement on this scheme, was signing for credited social insurance contributions — credits — with the Department of Social and Family Affairs. Credited contributions are notional social insurance contributions which are awarded to an insured person in situations where pay related social insurance payment is not being paid by that person. My Department has established, following legal advice, that a person signing for credits has no underlying entitlement to participate on the scheme. To be eligible, a person must meet the aforementioned criteria. The participant in question can re-apply for a place on the scheme on expiry of the current contract. Any such application will be considered for eligibility by reference to these criteria.

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