The Minister for Social Protection, Leo Varadkar, has confirmed to me that existing participants on the Rural Social Scheme will not be subject to the new six year term limit. The new term limit will only apply to new participants and is designed to ensure that as many people as possible can avail of the Scheme. It is necessary in a good number of areas across the country.
I welcome the important clarification from Minister Varadkar regarding the Rural Social Scheme (RSS) which comes following a meeting in Galway with the Minister and local RSS supervisors. At the meeting the Scheme supervisors from Connemara expressed concerns regarding term limits and the impact on attracting participants in low population rural areas.
Minister Varadkar also accepted that in cases where there are no waiting lists that participants could be permitted to stay on the Scheme longer than the six years envisaged.
I’m assured that Minister Varadkar understands the importance of the community work undertaken by RSS participants. This is, I believe, reflected the recent expansion of the scheme by the Minister which has allocated an extra 55 Rural Social Scheme places for Galway. The additional places are being overseen by Galway Rural Development, Forum Connemara and Comhar na nOileán.
Last month Minister Varadkar expanded the Rural Social Scheme for the first time in a decade and provided 55 new places to Galway and 79 new places to Mayo.