Brian Stanley
Question:679. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will restore the farm assist payment to the levels prior to the cuts made to the scheme three years ago as part of budget 2017. [24370/16]
View answerFriday, 16 September 2016
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The 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". This review has now been completed and will inform any changes to the farm assist scheme, which will be considered in the context of Budget 2017 subject to the overall budgetary context.