The Rural Social Scheme (RSS) was launched by the Department of Community Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs in 2004. The aims of this scheme are:

- to provide income support for farmers and fishermen who are currently in receipt of long - term social welfare payments, and
- to provide certain services to benefit to rural communities by harnessing the skills and talents available among low-income farmers and fishermen.

The responsibility for the operation of the RSS rests with the Department of Community, Rural & Gaeltacht Affairs. Pobal carries out, on behalf of the Department a payroll function in respect of the scheme and administers the materials payment to Leader/Údarás na Gaeltacht Groups.

The RSS is managed at a local level, on the Department's behalf, by the LEADER groups and in the Gaeltacht by the LEADER groups in conjunction with Údarás na Gaeltachta.

Who is eligible to participate in RSS?

The scheme is aimed, primarily, at farmers who are in receipt of long-term social welfare payments, but the rules will admit low-income fishermen also. To be eligible to participate an individual must be in receipt of:

Farm Assist

or have a herd number (valid/active herd/flock/pig hered number) and be in receipt of one of the following long-term Social Welfare payments:

Unemployment Assistance
Unemployment Benefit, if previously on RSS or CE
Disability Allowance

The following people are also permitted to participate in the scheme:

Dependent Spouse of qualifying herd number (valid/active herd/flock/pig herd number).

Children/siblings of qualifying herd number (valid/active herd/flock/pig herd number).

Recipients of One-Parent and Widow(ers) payments with a herd number (valid/active herd/flock/pig herd number) and

Adult dependents of non-contributory old age pensioners, who themselves are under 66, and have a herd number (valid/active herd/flock/pig herd number).

Successful applicants for the scheme who are in receipt of Farm Assist, Unemployment Assistance or Unemployment Benefit may not receive this payment from the Department of Social and Family Affairs so long as they participate on the scheme.

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