Jack Wall
Question:19 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he is concerned at the high levels of stress and depression in the farming community; his views in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8840/03]
Written Answers - Farmers' Welfare.
Despite the perception of a stress free lifestyle associated with rural life, farmers like their urban and town counterparts experience many pressures and uncertainties associated with their work and income situation which can be compounded if the person is ill, living alone or in poor financial circumstances.
I am particularly aware of the difficulties involved for farmers and their families in coping with the uncertainties associated with farming and in particular with the distress involved in cases of herd depopulation due to animal disease outbreak. In this regard, I launched a special free advisory service for farmers, operated by Teagasc, in July 2002, to provide advice on how to get back into business as soon as possible and where necessary to refer farmers to trained professional help. Teagasc advisers and district veterinary staff have received specific training to provide this service. Farmers who are experiencing difficulties in other areas of their business can avail of the expertise in Teagasc. I am aware that the Samaritans and the IFA launched an advertising campaign last year to help farmers suffering from stress and depression to overcome their reluctance to seek help.
The Farm Animal Welfare Advisory Council, FAWAC, which I established last year has recognised the desirability of ensuring that throughout the country there are structures in place which can address any real or potential problem cases and which draw on the sense of community and care for the wellbeing of both the people and animals involved. The objective is to provide throughout the country a framework within which problems can be spotted before they become critical or overwhelming. This will in turn facilitate timely, effective and sensitive intervention or the provision of assistance by, as appropriate, public agencies, neighbours and farming bodies and welfare groups.
I believe that the sense of community which still prevails in rural Ireland can play a vital role in this regard, and can be even more effective when coupled with arrangements for dealing with such cases which are standardised, well understood and more responsive but not overly-formalised
The revised national anti-poverty strategy, NAPS, launched by the Government in February 2002, includes a specific focus on addressing rural poverty and disadvantage but also has objectives relating to health and access to health services in rural areas. In relation to poverty, the general commitment set out in NAPS is to reduce the number of farm and non-farm rural dwellers who are consistently poor to below 2% and if possible to eliminate consistent poverty altogether. Provisional figures for 2001 show as in previous years a lower percentage of farm households suffering consistent poverty at the 60% poverty line than either non-farm rural or urban households, for example, 3.2% for farm households compared to 7.2% for non farm rural and 4.3% for urban households.
The farm assist scheme, operated by the Department of Social and Family Affairs, pro vides income support for low-income farm families. At the beginning of 2003 there were nearly 8,500 low income farm families receiving farm assist payments from the Department of Social and Family Affairs.