John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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263. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of referrals made to the rural social scheme in each of the years 2013 to 2017. [14289/18]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The rural social scheme (RSS) is an income support initiative which provides part-time employment opportunities in community and voluntary organisations for farmers or fishermen who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments and underemployed in their primary occupation. The RSS is a supplementary income support scheme.

RSS is delivered through 35 Local Development Companies and Údarás Na Gaeltachta. Participants must continue to be actively farming/fishing and retain entitlement to the underlying qualifying DSP payment in order to retain eligibility for participation on RSS. The Department do not refer people to the RSS. Participation is by voluntary self-selection and is dependent on the availability of vacancies in the relevant locality. Applications are made direct to the relevant Local Development Company.