Eamon O’Cuiv, Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs officially launched the new ‘Rural Social Scheme on Monday 17th May 2004. The Rural Social Scheme was announced last december as part of Budget 2004.
The aim of the scheme is to provide community based work on a part-time basis to 2,500 farmers/fishermen (or their spouses), who do not make a viable living from full-time farming or fishing.
Types of projects carried out under the Rural Social Scheme are likely to include:
– Maintaining and enhancing Waymarked Ways agreed walks and bog roads
– Energy conservation work for the elderly and the less well off
– Village and countryside enhancement projects
– Social care and care of the elderly, community care for both pre-school and after-school groups
– Environmental maintainance work
– Maintainance and caretaking of community and sporting facilities
– Projects relating to not for profit cultural and heritage centres
To be eligible to participate on the scheme a person must be on Farm Assist or possess a herd number and be in reciept of Unemployment Assistance, Unemployment Benefit, if previously on Community Employment, Disability Allowance or be on the Community Employment Scheme. Transfers from CE will only be accepted during the first 12 months.
Participants will work 19.5 hours per week and these hours will be based on a farmer/fisherman-friendly schedule. Details of total weekly payments are detailed below:
Rates of payment on the scheme are as follows;
Participant with Adult dependent EUR248.60 Participant without Adult dependent EUR159.20
Each Child dependent – Full rate EUR16.80 Each Child dependent – Half rate EUR8.40