Over the past 20 years, 500 people in south Kerry and 400 in north Kerry have participated in the rural social scheme, RSS, providing services such as meals on wheels, care of the elderly, the Valentia lighthouse, social farming and working community centres. The benefit to the participants and to the community has been immeasurable and the value for money, according to a Pobal review, is that for every €1 spent, there is a €3 benefit back to the community. However, the RSS has not been supported enough by this Government. Supervisors are still locked out of the pension scheme. Participants still have to retire at 66 and not 70, and the top-up on their social welfare should be increased to at least €50. Can the Taoiseach do something about that because very few people leave it? The Department of Social Protection should invite everyone on farm assist schemes to participate because numbers are falling but the structures need to be put in place so this work can continue in communities.

I thank the Deputy. It was an interesting point he made because we all share, across the political divide in here, an understanding of the value of the sorts of projects that he mentioned. I argue that we have put a lot of support in in recent years but the points the Deputy made are valid, and I will certainly ask the Department to consider them in advance of any new government coming to office.