The long-awaited review of the Rural Social Scheme – with 19 recommendations to sustain and develop it into the future – has been welcomed by Galway Rural Development as a vital service for the future of rural areas.

The review was launched by Minister Joe O’Brien in Newport, Co Mayo, and GRD had the distinction of having two Supervisors and Executive Director Anne Kinsella, also of Teagasc, on the review steering group.

The Rural Social Scheme provides financial support to low-income farmers who, in return, work for nineteen and a half hours per week supporting local communities.

The scheme provides a stable income to smaller farmers, a local workforce with an extensive skill-set for the community, and promotes social inclusion and mental health and wellbeing.

The review recommendations seek to widen the eligibility and the impact of the programme.

Among them is a proposal to consider a pilot scheme of 250 places available to ‘rural dwellers’ over 50 years of age on a social welfare payment.

As it stands, the RSS already delivers key community services including the maintenance of sporting facilities, community recreation areas and way-marked walking routes to rural communities.

But declining participation since 2019 is causing a concern that rural communities may be left without key community services.

Minister O’Brien said that the level of response to this review was ‘a good indication of the esteem in which the scheme is held in rural communities’.

“It also highlighted the increase in the quality of RSS workers lives through increased income security, the importance in terms of tackling social inclusion and rural isolation, and also the value of flexible hours of work thus ensuring that farming and fishing activities are sustained,” he said

“I welcome the publication of this report and the recommendations in the report should further support schemes delivering vital services to local communities. My Department will now commence work on examining the recommendations with a view to implementing them as soon as possible,” he added.

Senior Manager at GRD Sean Broderick said that the review had been informed by ‘an extensive consultation process, including participants, supervisors, implementing bodies and project sponsors, as well as Government Departments and industry bodies’.

Liz Macdonald, Supervisor with GRD and Joint National Chair of the RSS Committee, said that the RSS – and Tús schemes – were invaluable to communities, and that was evident throughout the report, she said.

“The benefits for participants, in terms of mental health and the provision of training, is obvious; as are the benefits to local organisations. We’re proud to have played the role we have in this review, and we look forward to its implementation,” she added.

Also speaking on behalf of GRD at the launch, Supervisor Sean Larkin said they were confident that the report provided a path forward to the long-term viability of the RSS.

“We want to thank everyone involved in this review from Tony Kieran and Shane Reynolds in the Department of Social Protection to the Minister and Anne Kinsella, to our fellow steering group members, our hosts here in Mayo, and to all those who contributed,” he said.

Pictured in Newport at the launch of the Rural Social Scheme Review were CEO of GRD Steve Dolan, steering group member Liz Macdonald, Minister Joe O’Brien, GRD Senior Manager Sean Broderick, Anne Kinsella of Teagasc and GRD, and steering group member Sean Larkin.