asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason farmers are excluded from the family income supplement scheme; and if he has any plans to include them in the scheme.
Written Answers. - Family Income Supplement.
142.
The family income supplement scheme was designed to provide cash support for employees on low earnings with families. In many cases such workers were only marginally better off than if they were claiming disability or unemployment benefit and the scheme was intended to reduce the extent of this poverty trap. These considerations do not apply in the case of self-employed persons including farmers, who are not entitled to social insurance benefits and accordingly they were not included in the scheme. It is not proposed to alter the terms of the scheme to include persons who are not employees.