The Rural Social Scheme

Clare Local Development Company currently employs 117 farmer participants on the Rural Social Scheme (RSS) who support around 60 community projects throughout Co. Clare, in addition to delivering the Warmer Homes Scheme. These projects include activities such as;

• Maintaining and enhancing walking trails and bog roads 
• Energy conservation work for the elderly and the less well off 
• Village and countryside enhancement 
• Social care, care of the elderly, community care for both pre-school and after-school groups 
• Environmental maintenance and caretaking of community and sporting facilities 
• Not-for-profit cultural and heritage centres 
• Community administration/clerical support 
• Any other appropriate community project

Co. Clare is divided into six scheme areas each of which has an average of 20 workers reporting to a RSS Supervisor. The designated areas and Supervisors are: 

Mid South Clare - John O’Connell (also Warmer Homes Scheme)
South West Clare - Pat Talty
Mid West Clare – Diane Burke
Ennistymon – Maurice Harvey
Ennis East - Ann Kiernan 
North East Clare - Pat Hayes 

As the new Tús Scheme is rolled out countywide, RSS Supervisors will supervise some Tús workers in their areas to avoid overlap on the ground. Tús Supervisors will also look after some RSS workers in their areas. Click here for more information on the Tús Scheme. 

Work Plans are considered from community groups in Clare on an annual basis and where possible, subject to the suitability of projects and the availability of RSS farmer participants, new projects are added each year. 

For further information on the Rural Social Scheme, contact Jackie Bonfield in our Ennis office at jbonfield@cldc.ie or at 065 6866800.