asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason why certain areas are specified for the purpose of qualifying for unemployment assistance for smallholders.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Unemployment Assistance for Smallholders.
33.
It is assumed that the question relates to the new system of calculating means from land under the Unemployment Assistance Acts which has recently been brought into operation in relation to smallholders in congested areas of the West. In fixing the geographical limits of the amended scheme—as prescribed in the Unemployment Assistance (Specified Areas) Order, 1965 (S.I. No. 236 of 1965)— the Government adopted substantially the same areas as those recognised by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for the pilot area and other similar schemes administered by that Department. These areas represent the congested districts in the widest sense of that term. The reason for specifying them as the areas of application of the new system of means assessment was that the small farm problem is concentrated there and that in these areas the difficulties of the small farmer are, generally speaking, more acute than elsewhere and the volume of wage-earning employment available is lowest.
I should perhaps make it clear that it is still open to smallholders resident outside the specified areas to apply for unemployment assistance in accordance with the general conditions of that scheme.
Will the Minister state that only the land valuation will be taken into account in the congested districts in assessing income and no other question will apply, irrespective of what income is derived from the land?
That is correct. The actual income earned from the land will not be assessed.
In every case?
Yes.