Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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296. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the reason for the new entrant term limitations for the rural social scheme, which has up to now been an income support for small under employed farmers that were entitled to stay on the scheme as long as their situation remained the same; if he will address the hardship this change places on small farmers on RSS that are not unemployed and that do not want to move away from farming; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2873/17]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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302. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if he will reverse the changes made to the rural social scheme limiting participants to two terms of three years but not consecutively in view of the fact that this is a very important income support for farmers with small holdings and that do not have full employment on their farms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3130/17]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 296 and 302 together.

As the Deputies are aware, the rural social scheme (RSS) provides opportunities for farmers and fishermen and women who are currently in receipt of specified social welfare payments to work to provide certain services of benefit to rural communities. While communities benefit from the skills and talents of local farmers and fishermen, participants also have the opportunity to improve existing skills, or develop new skills, while performing valuable work in their local communities.

As part of the social welfare budget package for 2017, I announced an increase of €5 a week in the personal rate of payment for RSS participants from March 2017. In recognition of the crucial work undertaken in rural communities under the RSS, I also announced an additional 500 places on the scheme which will be rolled out over the coming weeks. This will increase the overall numbers on the scheme to 3,100.

Eligibility for participation on the scheme will continue to be limited to those in receipt of certain specified social welfare payments and all participants must also be actively engaged in farming or fishing. In future, all participants to the RSS will have to be over 25 years of age. I believe this is appropriate as it will give younger people an opportunity to explore other training or education options before entering a long-term work programme such as the RSS.

It should be noted that almost 50% of the current participants have been on the RSS for over 10 years. As a result, opportunities for new people to go on the scheme are very limited. It is in this context that I have introduced a 6 year overall participation limit on the scheme. This will ensure that there will be a throughput of places available. It should also be remembered that income support will still be available to eligible farmers and fishermen who are not on RSS in the form of Farm or Fish Assist.

Existing RSS participants will remain on the scheme as long as they continue to satisfy the eligibility conditions of the scheme. The new conditions outlined above will only apply to new RSS participants who commence on the scheme from 1st February 2017.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputies.