Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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116. To ask the Minister for Social Protection her plans for the rural social scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9784/14]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The rural social scheme (RSS) provides 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 around 2,600 participants and 130 supervisory staff. The funds allocated for 2014 amount to €45m. This level of funding will allow the scheme to continue along the same lines in 2014 as in previous years but does not allow for the recruitment above the numbers stated above.

The operation of the RSS is governed by a comprehensive set of rules which are revised on an on-going basis as a result of changes in the operating environment and the introduction of, or changes to, other schemes or other conditions that impact on the scheme’s operations.