Press release
Varadkar announces details of 500 extra Rural Social Scheme places
From Department of Social Protection
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Social Protection
Published on
Last updated on
Minister for Social Protection Leo Varadkar has announced details of where the 500 extra places on the Rural Social Scheme for farmers and fishermen will be allocated.
The increase brings the total number from 2,600 to 3,100. It’s the first increase since 2006 when the numbers increased by 100 from 2,500 to 2,600.
“I am a big fan of the Rural Social Scheme. It provides an opportunity to farmers and fishermen to make off-farm income in areas where there are few opportunities to do so, brings money into rural and coastal communities and gets valuable work done on the ground. I am very pleased to be in a position to allocate 500 additional places around the country and if successful, I will seek extra places for 2018. This move forms an important part of the Government's commitment to rural Ireland and ensures that all parts of the country and people from all walks of life benefit from the economic recovery,” Minister Varadkar said.
“The Scheme is popular with participants and in the communities, which benefit from their talents. It also gives participants an opportunity to improve their existing skills, or develop new skills, while performing valuable work in their local communities. And significantly, it also supports participants to stay involved in farming or fishing in their local area. I’m delighted that we can expand the scheme for the first time since 2006 thanks to Budget 2017. It shows the Government’s ongoing commitment to rural Ireland.”
The work carried out under the Scheme helps to support countless sports clubs, community services and rural facilities. But it’s also an important source of extra income to farmers and fishermen who may be working in agriculture or fishing on a part-time basis and find it difficult to maintain a decent income. It also gives them an opportunity to develop new skills. Participants provide 19.5 hours a week on a local rural or community project in a return for a top-up on their social welfare payments.
The Scheme is especially important in the west, north-west and south of Ireland, where participants work on the following type of projects:
The extra places will strengthen the Rural Social Scheme by supporting more farming and fishing families on low incomes. The Scheme is delivered through 35 Implementing Bodies or Local Development Companies, and Údarás na Gaeltachta.
Participants must be actively farming or fishing with an underlying entitlement to a qualifying Department of Social Protection payment, such as Farm Assist, in order to be eligible. Most participants receive a weekly payment of €188 a week (equal to the maximum personal rate on Farm Assist) (rising to €193 from Mid-March), and an additional €22.50 top-up per week under the Rural Social Scheme.
Participation is voluntary and is dependent on the availability of vacancies in the relevant locality. As this scheme is administered on a local level by Implementing Bodies on behalf of the Department, a person should, in all instances, contact their local Development Company for any further information, or for an application form.
| County | Current Allocation | New Allocation |
| Carlow | 18 | 22 |
| Cavan | 80 | 97 |
| Clare | 117 | 143 |
| Cork | 171 | 210 |
| Donegal | 227 | 308 |
| Dublin | 0 | 0 |
| Galway | 275 | 325 |
| Kerry | 267 | 304 |
| Kildare | 22 | 25 |
| Kilkenny | 19 | 24 |
| Laois | 25 | 29 |
| Leitrim | 100 | 121 |
| Limerick | 83 | 93 |
| Longford | 55 | 65 |
| Louth | 10 | 14 |
| Mayo | 562 | 641 |
| Meath | 17 | 21 |
| Monaghan | 40 | 62 |
| Offaly | 52 | 57 |
| Roscommon | 149 | 167 |
| Sligo | 124 | 138 |
| Tipperary | 63 | 81 |
| Waterford | 12 | 15 |
| Westmeath | 33 | 40 |
| Wexford | 39 | 50 |
| Wicklow | 20 | 23 |
| Islands | 20 | 25 |
| Total | 2600 | 3100 |
Additional 500 RSS places
| Rural Social Scheme Implementing Body | Current RSS Participants Quota | Proposed additional RSS places | Revised 2017 RSS allocation |
| Údarás na Gaeltachta * | 437 | 60 | 497 |
| Donegal Local Development Co Ltd | 76 | 46 | 122 |
| Galway Rural Development Co Ltd | 156 | 32 | 188 |
| Mayo Nth East Leader Part Co Teo | 221 | 30 | 251 |
| Clare Local Dev Co Ltd | 117 | 26 | 143 |
| South West Mayo Development Co Ltd | 191 | 25 | 216 |
| Monaghan Integrated Development Ltd | 40 | 22 | 62 |
| South Kerry Development Part CLG | 138 | 21 | 159 |
| Leitrim Integrated Dev Co Ltd | 100 | 21 | 121 |
| Roscommon Integrated Dev Co Ltd | 149 | 18 | 167 |
| Breffni Integrated Ltd, Cavan | 80 | 17 | 97 |
| Co Sligo Leader Partnership Company | 124 | 14 | 138 |
| Nth & East Kerry Leader Part Teo | 89 | 13 | 102 |
| East Cork Area Development | 8 | 12 | 20 |
| Inishowen Rural Development Ltd | 30 | 12 | 42 |
| IRD Duhallow Ltd | 58 | 11 | 69 |
| West Cork Development Part Ltd | 68 | 11 | 79 |
| South Tipperary Development Co | 26 | 11 | 37 |
| Wexford Local Development Ltd | 39 | 11 | 50 |
| Longford Community Resources | 55 | 10 | 65 |
| Forum Connemara Ltd | 14 | 10 | 24 |
| Westmeath Community Development Ltd | 33 | 7 | 40 |
| North Tipperary Leader Partnership | 37 | 7 | 44 |
| Ballyhoura Development Limited | 47 | 6 | 53 |
| County Kilkenny Leader Partnership | 19 | 5 | 24 |
| Offaly Integrated Local Dev Co Ltd | 52 | 5 | 57 |
| Comhar na nOileán Teo. | 20 | 5 | 25 |
| West Limerick Resources | 36 | 4 | 40 |
| Carlow Co Development Part Ltd | 18 | 4 | 22 |
| Laois Community & Enterprise Dev Co | 25 | 4 | 29 |
| Louth Community Resources | 10 | 4 | 14 |
| Meath Community Rural & Social Dev | 16 | 4 | 20 |
| Waterford Leader Partnership Ltd | 12 | 3 | 15 |
| Avondhu Blackwater Partnership Ltd | 17 | 3 | 20 |
| Co Wicklow Community Partnership | 20 | 3 | 23 |
| County Kildare Leader Partnership | 22 | 3 | 25 |
| Total | 2,600 | 500 | 3,100 |
*The 60 extra places to Údarás na Gaeltachta is broken down as follows:
Mayo 24
Donegal 23
Galway 8
Cork 2
Kerry 3