Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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224. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the annual cost to the Exchequer annually of reverting the rural social scheme to the pre-2012 rules in regard to the length of participation on the scheme and means testing. [37190/24]

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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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 low-income farmers or fisherpersons. To participate a person must be aged 25 or over, and in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payments. While partaking on RSS a participant must continue to maintain an underlying entitlement to farm/fish assist of which the conditions include the requirement to satisfy a means test. In general, when reviewing a RSS participant’s means, my Department applies the most favorable means assessment which is the farm assist means assessment.

All participants who have commenced on the scheme from17th September 2012 onwards are paid the equivalent of their existing rate of social welfare payment plus a top-up of €27.50, with a minimum payment of €259.50 since January 2024.

Due to the nature of the means assessment process, it is not possible to give the annual cost to the exchequer of reverting the RSS to the pre-2012 means testing rules. However, I would like to reiterate that there is no limitation applying to participation on the scheme as long as the participant continues to maintain an underlying entitlement to farm/fish assist, bearing in mind that RSS ceases to be paid at the age of 66 years of age.

I hope this clarifies the position for you.