Lisa Chambers (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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302. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of places nationally for the rural social scheme; and the number of places vacant in each county. [43914/19]

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 which is delivered through 36 Implementing Bodies (IBs) or Local Development Companies and Údarás Na Gaeltachta in the Gaeltacht areas.

There is a total of 3,350 places allocated nationally to the Implementing Bodies (IBs) and Údarás na Gaeltachta who deliver the RSS.  As at 21st October, 2019 there are 110 vacancies on the scheme.

Table 1outlines the number of RSS vacancies in each county.

* Please note there is a category for “Islands” which covers the offshore islands.

Table 1