Tánaiste ‘does not understand how the rural social scheme works’
Fianna Fáil spokesperson on agriculture Éamon Ó Cuív made the allegation after the Tánaiste confirmed to him in a written Dáil reply that she is reviewing the scheme.
Mr Ó Cuív said this is of major concern as it would appear Ms Burton has no feel, or understanding, for the scheme and its importance to farmers.
He said the minister seems to think that farmers on the scheme are unemployed, where the reality is that they are employed on their farms.
But those on the scheme do not have enough income from their farming to give them a living wage.
This is the reason they engage in a small amount of community work outside of farming, which supplements their modest income.
Mr Ó Cuív called on the minister to change the basic rules of the scheme and to increase the number of places to 5,000 in 2015.
He also urged the new Minister of State for Rural Development, Anne Phelan, to impress on Ms Burton the importance of this scheme and its pivotal role in sustaining rural communities.
The Tánaiste in her Dáil reply said the RSS provides income support for low-income 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 department has engaged 35 local development companies and Údarás na Gaeltachta to deliver the scheme.
The scheme currently provides work opportunities for 2,600 participants and 130 supervisory staff. The funds allocated for 2014 amount to €45m. This level of funding will allow the scheme to continue along the same lines in 2014, as in previous years, but does not allow for recruitment above the numbers stated.
As with all schemes, the department is required to ensure that the RSS remains effective, provides value for money and is in line with other government policies.
A focused policy assessment on the scheme was carried out by the Department of Public Expenditure and the results were published in recent months.
The assessment highlights the difficulty in assessing the impact and benefits from the scheme and that it is generally out of line with current government policy.
She said the department is examining the conclusions made in the assessment, together with the recommendations contained in the Review of Employment Support Schemes published by the department in early 2013.
This is with a view to determining the measures needed to improve the delivery and focus of the RSS, whilst ensuring the continued support for the provision of services across rural areas.
