Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 344: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the reason a person (details supplied) in County Mayo has been told they have to cease on the rural social scheme, after a contract of only one year; if this person will be re-employed on the rural social scheme. [7651/06]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The conditions of eligibility, which need to be fulfilled to participate in the rural social scheme, RSS, are as follows: 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 one of the following allowances from the Department of Social and Family Affairs, namely, unemployment assistance, unemployment benefit, if previously on CE, or disability allowance; or applicants are 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 are in receipt of one of the following allowances from the Department of Social and Family Affairs, namely, unemployment assistance, unemployment benefit, if previously on CE, or disability allowance.

The person in question, prior to commencement on the RSS, 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 without a pay related social insurance, PRSI, payment being received from that person.

My Department has established, following legal advice, that a person signing for credits has no underlying entitlement to participate on the scheme. The person concerned spent one year on the scheme but following the legal clarification was informed that he could not continue to participate for a further period on the basis of credited social insurance contributions. To be eligible going forward, the person in question must meet the criteria set out above.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 345: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the number of applicants who have been refused participation on the rural social scheme in each county since the scheme was introduced; the category of their refusal; the number of people who have been refused an extension of their employment contract on the rural social scheme in each county, in each refusal category; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7663/06]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Details of applicants for the rural social scheme, RSS, who were refused a place and participants refused contract extensions since the scheme was introduced, both on a county basis, are set out in the following table.

As I pointed out in my reply to Question No. 378, participants described as "on credits" were signing for credited social welfare insurance contributions with the Department of Social and Family Affairs prior to commencement on the scheme. My Department has established, following legal advice, that a person signing for credits has no underlying entitlement to participate on the scheme, hence the refusal of contract extensions in their cases.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 346: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the number of people who are employed on the rural social scheme on a county basis; the costs involved; the estimated scheme participation and costs for the next 12 month period. [7664/06]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The number of participants on the rural social scheme on a county basis are as follows:

An amount of €40.3 million for current expenditure with a further €3 million for capital expenditure has been provided in my Department's Estimates to fund the scheme in 2006. It is envisaged that the total allocation of 2,500 places available on the scheme will be taken up shortly.