The purpose of the rural social scheme is to provide income support for farmers and those engaged in fishing who have an entitlement to specified social welfare payments. Participants are engaged for 19½ hours per week to provide certain services of benefit to rural communities. The scheme currently provides work opportunities for around 2,600 participants and 130 supervisory staff. The funds allocated for 2012 amount to €45.66m, which should enable the scheme to continue as in previous years but does not allow for the recruitment of additional participants above the numbers stated above. I have no plans to increase the number of places available on this scheme.
Overall responsibility for the RSS rests with the Department of Social Protection with responsibility for its day-to-day operations resting with 34 local development companies and Údarás na Gaeltachta which is responsible for delivery in Gaeltacht areas, collectively referred to as Implementing Bodies. Implementing bodies are free to recruit to any vacant position without reference to the Department. Accordingly, the Department does not maintain a list of persons who may have been successful in a recruitment process but for whom a vacancy does not arise. Since its inception in 2004, the number of placements allocated to implementing bodies has been increased from 851 participants and 48 supervisor positions to the current level of 2,600 participants and 130 supervisors. This level has remained constant since September 2006.
TABLE – Allocation of RSS Placements -2006-2012
|
Implementing Body
|
County
|
Participant Quota
|
Supervisor Quota
|
|
Breffni Integrated Limited
|
Cavan
|
80
|
4
|
|
Carlow County Development Partnership Ltd.
|
Carlow
|
18
|
1
|
|
Clare Local Development Co. Ltd.
|
Clare
|
117
|
6
|
|
Avondhu/Blackwater Partnership Ltd.
|
Cork
|
17
|
1
|
|
South and East Cork Area Development
|
Cork
|
8
|
1
|
|
West Cork Development Partnership Ltd.
|
Cork
|
68
|
3
|
|
Ballyhoura Development Limited
|
Cork/Limerick
|
47
|
2
|
|
IRD Duhallow Ltd.
|
Cork/Limerick/Kerry
|
58
|
3
|
|
Donegal Local Development Company Ltd
|
Donegal
|
76
|
4
|
|
Inishowen Development Partnership
|
Donegal
|
30
|
2
|
|
Comhar na nOileán Teoranta
|
Islands
|
20
|
0
|
|
FORUM Connemara Ltd.
|
Galway
|
14
|
1
|
|
Galway Rural Development Co. Ltd.
|
Galway
|
156
|
8
|
|
North and East Kerry LEADER Partnership Teoranta
|
Kerry
|
89
|
5
|
|
South Kerry Development Partnership Ltd.
|
Kerry
|
138
|
7
|
|
Cill Dara ar Aghaidh Teoranta
|
Kildare
|
22
|
1
|
|
County Kilkenny LEADER Partnership Company Limited
|
Kilkenny
|
19
|
1
|
|
Laois Community and Enterprise Development Co. Ltd.
|
Laois
|
25
|
1
|
|
Leitrim Integrated Development Company Ltd.
|
Leitrim
|
100
|
5
|
|
West Limerick Resources
|
Limerick
|
36
|
2
|
|
Longford Community Resources
|
Longford
|
55
|
3
|
|
Louth LEADER Partnership
|
Louth
|
10
|
0
|
|
Mayo North East LEADER Partnership Co. Teo.
|
Mayo
|
221
|
11
|
|
South West Mayo Development Company Ltd.
|
Mayo
|
191
|
10
|
|
Meath Community Rural & Social Development Partnership
|
Meath
|
16
|
1
|
|
Monaghan Integrated Development Limited
|
Monaghan
|
40
|
2
|
|
Offaly Integrated Local Development Company Ltd.
|
Offaly
|
52
|
3
|
|
Roscommon Integrated Development Company Ltd.
|
Roscommon
|
149
|
7
|
|
County Sligo LEADER Partnership Co. Ltd.
|
Sligo
|
124
|
6
|
|
North Tipperary LEADER Partnership
|
Tipperary
|
37
|
2
|
|
South Tipperary Development Company Limited
|
Tipperary
|
26
|
1
|
|
Waterford LEADER Partnership Ltd.
|
Waterford
|
12
|
0
|
|
Westmeath Community Development Ltd.
|
Westmeath
|
33
|
2
|
|
Wexford Local Development
|
Wexford
|
39
|
2
|
|
Co. Wicklow Community Partnership
|
Wicklow
|
20
|
1
|
|
Údarás na Gaeltachta
|
Mayo/Kerry/
Galway/Donegal
|
437
|
21
|
|
Totals
|
|
2600
|
130
|
