Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 July 2016
382. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to review the abolition of income and child disregards for the farm assist scheme introduced by his predecessor; and his further plans to review the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20816/16]
View answerThe farm assist scheme provides support for farmers on low incomes and is similar to jobseeker’s allowance. Farm assist recipients retain the advantages of the jobseeker’s allowance scheme such as the retention of secondary benefits and access to activation programmes. The 2016 Revised Estimates for my Department provide for expenditure of €85 million on the farm assist scheme.
Changes introduced in Budgets 2012 and 2013 brought farm assist into closer alignment with the jobseeker’s allowance scheme’s treatment of self-employed people. Farm families with the lowest income were least impacted by these changes as the headline rates of farm assist were maintained.
The Programme for Government contains the commitment to undertake a "Review of the Farm Assist Scheme, recognising the challenges facing farmers on low incomes". I have asked my officials to review the farm assist scheme from a policy and an administrative point of view. This review has commenced and its conclusions may be considered in the context of Budget 2017, subject to the overall budgetary context.
