Declan Breathnach (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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159. To ask the Minister for Social Protection his plans to revise the farm income threshold for persons wishing to take part in the rural social scheme; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that due to the fact the current threshold is set very low at €409 per week, that those struggling to survive on low family incomes as in the case of a person (details supplied) are precluded from partaking in the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25258/17]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The Rural Social Scheme (RSS) is a supplementary income support initiative which provides part-time employment opportunities in community and voluntary organisations for low-income farmers and fishermen/women who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments and under-employed in their primary occupation. The Government is very committed to the RSS and this commitment was clearly demonstrated by the announcement of an additional 500 places in Budget 2017, the first increase in places since 2006. This measure, allied with my reversal of the previous cuts to Farm Assist, is evident of this Government’s commitment to rural Ireland.

The Deputy will appreciate that my Department must ensure that only eligible customers benefit from its schemes. This also applies to people who are participating on the RSS. Eligibility for participation on the RSS remains limited to those in receipt of certain specified social welfare payments and all participants must be also actively engaged in farming or fishing whilst maintaining an underlying entitlement to Farm/Fish Assistance. One of the conditions of these payments is the requirement to satisfy a means test. Payments can be reviewed at any stage to ensure that participants continue to satisfy the underlying conditions.

In the case referred to by the Deputy, a review of means was carried out by the Local Intreo Office and it has been determined that the weekly means of the person referred to is in excess of the statutory limit for receipt of Farm Assist. As there has been no additional information received to warrant a further review of the household means, this decision still stands. Therefore, it is not possible to renew the RSS contract of the person concerned. I have no plans at present to further revise the income threshold applicable for RSS participants.

I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.