Pádraic McCormack
Question:80 Mr. McCormack asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs her views on the current level of uptake for the farm assist scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17655/04]
View answerTuesday, 15 June 2004
Questions (30, 31)
Written answers
The farm assist scheme, which introduced special arrangements for farmers on low incomes, was provided for in the Social Welfare Act 1999 and came into operation with effect from 7 April 1999. There are now 8,690 farm assist customers. The current average weekly payment is €142.59.
The farm assist scheme is a practical response by my Department to the situation of low income farmers and it represents a long-term safety net for them. It benefits farm families with children and also provides increased payments to farming couples without children and to single farmers on low income.
The level of take-up is less than had been anticipated when the scheme was first introduced in April, 1999. One of the factors impacting on the take-up of the scheme is the significant increase in off-farm employment in recent years. However, the benefits to those who have joined it have been significant. The scheme has brought about a worthwhile improvement for low income farmers and particularly for those with children and it makes a valuable contribution to supporting those who are at the lower end of the farm income spectrum.
To increase awareness of the farm assist scheme, my Department undertook a major publicity campaign in 2002. Almost €100,000 was spent on that campaign which included radio and press advertising, including specialist farming publications, and the production and showing around the country of a promotional video on the scheme.
More generally, the network of social welfare offices throughout the country provides information to members of the public on the range of schemes and services available, including the farm assist scheme. Information leaflets and applications forms for farm assist are available at these offices. In addition, social welfare inspectors in rural areas promote the scheme when meeting the public in the course of their duties.
Trevor Sargent
Question:81 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if the Government remains on course to bring social welfare payments to an acceptable average payment, as promised in the Sustaining Progress agreement. [17732/04]
View answerSustaining Progress contains a number of important commitments in relation to social welfare payments, including commitments: to increase social welfare pensions over a five to 10 year period to 34% of average industrial earnings, in line with the recommendations of the national pensions policy initiative; to increase the level of social welfare pension to reach a target level of €200 by 2007 in line with the commitment in the programme for Government; to make progress to increase the level of qualified adult allowance for pensioner spouses to the level of the old age (non-contributory) pension; and to meet the target for the lowest social welfare rates and appropriate child equivalence levels as set out in the revised national anti-poverty strategy by 2007, namely, to increase the lowest rate of social welfare payments to €150, in 2002 terms, by 2007 and to achieve equivalence levels of child income support of between 33% and 35% of the personal rate of payment. The level of increases in payments since this Government came into office in 1997 demonstrates the commitment that we have to providing significant real improvements for social welfare recipients.
The real value of payments has been progressively increased over that period. Long-term payments for a couple without children have risen by 60% since 1997 while short-term payments for a couple without children have risen by over 52%.
The level of child income support has also increased considerably in recent years. The social welfare payment of a couple on a short-term payment with two children has risen by 59.5%, way ahead of inflation which increased by 24.6% over the same period.
Most recently the 2004 budget package cost €630 million and enabled the provision of increases well ahead of inflation for all social welfare recipients of weekly payments as well as significant other improvements in social welfare provisions generally.
As I said in the House at the time of the budget, the underlying objective was to make progress towards the achievement of the various commitments including the commitment on the lowest rate of payment. Further progress will be made towards delivering on these commitments in future budgets.