Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 29 November 2022
86. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Social Protection when she intends to announce the agricultural schemes which will be disregarded with regard to farm assist scheme under the new CAP; and the basis upon which the decision to include or exclude schemes will be determined. [59130/22]
View answerFarm Assist is a statutory income support specifically for farmers on low-incomes. There are approximately 4,500 claims in payment at present. Government has provided €53.9 million for the scheme for 2022. Further to commitments in the Programme for Government and in the Rural Development Policy 2021-2025, my Department reviewed the means assessment disregards for the Farm Assist. The report is available on the Government's website. One of the key recommendations of the review was to expand the list of agri-environmental schemes that attract a disregard in the Farm Assist means test by including additional schemes put forward by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. I recently introduced this measure effective from June 2022. As announced in Budget 2023, from January 2023 the amount of income from agri-environmental schemes that is disregard will increase from €2,540 to €5,000, with 50% of the balance assessed as means. The Review of the Farm Assist disregards also recommended that the two Departments would work together to identify schemes in Ireland's upcoming CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027 which may be considered for inclusion in the list of schemes which attract the disregard in the means test for the Farm Assist Scheme. I am committed to this and will consider any additional schemes in that context. My Department will liaise with colleagues in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Any amendments to the list of schemes shall be introduced by way of Ministerial Regulations in due course.
I trust this clarifies the position.
