Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 242: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide an up-to-date analysis of the rural social scheme, including a county-by-county breakdown of numbers on waiting lists; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13472/12]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The purpose of the rural social scheme (RSS) is to provide income support for farmers and fisherpersons who have an entitlement to specified social welfare payments. Persons are engaged for 191⁄2 hours per week to provide certain services of benefit to rural communities. The scheme currently provides work opportunities for around 2,600 participants and 130 supervisory staff.

Overall responsibility for the operation of the RSS rests with the Department of Social Protection with day-to-day delivery and management resting with 35 implementing bodies (IBs) comprising 34 local development companies and Údarás na Gaeltachta. The number of participants and supervisory positions allocated to each implementing body is set out in the table below. Implementing bodies are free to recruit to any vacant position without reference to the Department. Accordingly, the Department does not maintain a central database of persons who may have been successful in a recruitment process but for whom no vacancy arises. Given the nature of the RSS, where vacancies arise, implementing bodies are required to advertise such vacancies and to conduct an open recruitment process. My Department is currently engaged in an annual process of data collection in respect of the operation of the RSS in 2011. This information will be collated and verified and will be made available by the middle of 2012. Some €45.66 million is being made available to the RSS in 2012.

TABLE – Allocation of RSS Placements