Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 16 Dec 1997

Vol. 485 No. 2

Adjournment Debate. - Social Welfare Benefits.

Mr. Creed

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to raise this matter and the Minister of State for his attendance tonight. Every Member of the House is aware of the difficulties confronting the agricultural sector at present. Statistics for 1997 show that farm incomes have fallen by approximately 7 per cent. Such national statistics can mask more significant falls of income in certain sectors of the agricultural community.

I raise this matter on the Adjournment because one of the problems manifesting itself more and more frequently in my constituency is that farmers, through no fault of their own, are not able to generate sufficient income from their holdings to sustain themselves, their partners and their children. Officials in the Department of Social Community and Family Affairs, initially and on appeal, have made decisions to disqualify applicants who are full-time farmers from entitlement to social welfare benefit by quoting the regulation that they are not available for work or genuinely seeking it. Will the Minister outline where in the social welfare code it is set out that small holders can be denied social welfare payments by virtue of the reasons I mentioned? All of us know there are many farmers who work full-time but, through no fault of their own, are unable to generate an adequate income. This problem was not apparent in recent years when the agriculture sector was doing reasonably well, but an increasing number of farmers will be forced into making applications for social welfare due to their declining income.

I am talking in particular about farmers who, because they have small milk quotas, may have had alternative enterprises, particularly in the beef sector. Their income from that sector has been decimated over the past two years because of the BSE crisis, the reduced live exports trade, etc. I need not elaborate on the reasons for falling farm incomes; they are well documented in every other debate on agriculture. However, it is a reality of which the social welfare code should take note.

The social welfare code should facilitate as far as possible the maintenance of the maximum number of farming families on the land. The present attrition rate among farmers is 5,000 per annum. If they are not in a position to secure social welfare payments to supplement the meagre incomes which they can generate from the family farm, that number is likely to increase significantly.

I ask the Minister to instruct social welfare officers and the appeals office to look sympathetically at applications by this sector for assistance at a difficult time for farming families.

Minister of State at the Department of Education and Science (Mr. Treacy)

I thank Deputy Creed for raising this important matter. As I represent a rural constituency, I empathise with the sentiments which he has expressed.

In addition to satisfying a means test, the conditions for receipt of unemployment assistance require that an applicant must be capable of, available for and genuinely seeking work. As the Deputy will appreciate, these are statutory conditions which cannot be changed without the relevant legislation being amended.

There are currently about 8,000 farmers in receipt of smallholder's unemployment assistance and it is considered that they should have no difficulty in meeting the conditions referred to above.

Mr. Creed

That is unbelievable.

Mr. Treacy

If the Deputy has any particular case in mind, we will be glad to have it examined.

Mr. Creed

On a point of order, how can the Minister expect a farmer who is engaged full-time in agriculture but who cannot——

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

That is not a point of order, Deputy Creed.

Mr. Treacy

I am surprised that Deputy Creed should raise this matter. These have been standard statutory conditions for decades. Does Deputy Creed know that most farmers, perhaps not in County Cork but in the rest of the country and farmers in the west in particular with small fragmented holdings, are dependent on unemployment assistance for supplementary assistance and are more than capable of, available for and genuinely seeking an opportunity to work on community employment schemes?

Mr. Creed

What if they must milk ten cows morning and evening?

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

The Minister without interruption.

Mr. Treacy

My people do that; they are very good.

Income from farming is assessed as the gross yearly income from the holding, such as the sale of livestock, milk, crops or other produce less expenses necessarily incurred, such as rent, rates and annuities, cost of seeds, fertilisers and feeding stuffs, veterinary expenses, interest paid on borrowings and necessary labour costs. It is a factual assessment and is designed to reflect the actual net income to the smallholder from working on the farm.

If there were exceptional circumstances associated with the particular year in question, allowances would be made for this. It is, therefore, open to smallholders who experience a reduction in farming income to have their means assessment reviewed in the light of their changed circumstances.

If Deputy Creed has a particular case in mind, the Department of Community, Family and Social Affairs, under the political stewardship of Minister Dermot Ahern, will be only too delighted to have the case fully investigated hopefully to the mutual satisfaction of both Deputy Creed and the applicant.