Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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241. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the total number of places available under the rural social scheme; the number of places filled; the number of persons currently waiting to obtain a place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29032/13]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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249. To ask the Minister for Social Protection her plans to provide additional placements for the rural social scheme for Counties Cavan and Monaghan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29248/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 241 and 249 together.

The purpose of the rural social scheme is to provide income support for farmers and those engaged in fishing who have an entitlement to specified social welfare payments. Participants are engaged for 19½ hours per week to provide certain services of benefit to rural communities. The scheme currently provides work opportunities for 2,600 participants and 130 supervisory staff of which 120 participants and 6 supervisors are engaged in Counties Cavan and Monaghan. All places are currently allocated with funding for 2013 amounting to €45m. This does not allow for the recruitment of additional participants above the numbers stated above. Matters relating to recruitment and the maintenance of panels to fill vacancies should they arise are dealt with by each of the 35 Implementing Bodies engaged by the Department. The Department does not collate data on the numbers of person on such recruitment panels.