Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 24 Oct 2002

Vol. 556 No. 2

Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.

Seymour Crawford

Ceist:

35 Mr. Crawford asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of extra farm families who applied for farm assist, since she carried out her recent publicity campaign, on a county by county basis; the number who asked for a review; if she has satisfied herself that her commitment is turning into extra cash to hard pressed small farmers who have suffered bad weather conditions and falling prices; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19383/02]

Minister for Social and Family Affairs (Mary Coughlan)

The focus of my Department's publicity campaign in the farm assist scheme is a promotional video which I announced last July and which I formally launched at the national ploughing championships. The video describes who may benefit under the scheme, how to apply and how means are calculated. It also gives practical examples of farming families who have qualified for a payment under the scheme.

In the first seven months of this year, from 1 January 2002 to 26 July 2002, 734 claims for farm assist were registered. In the 12 week period from week ending 28 July 2002 to week ending 18 October 2002, 493 applications for the scheme were made. This indicates a marked increase in the rate of farm assist scheme applications since the beginning of the publicity campaign.

Of the 493 farmers who applied for farm assist since end of July, 421 are still registered, the remaining 72 applicants have ceased to claim. I am including a breakdown by county of the 421 new registrants in an appendix to this reply.

Of the current farm assist scheme claim load of 8,393, a total of 40 customers have requested a review in the period July 28 to October 18, 2002.

I appreciate the difficulties that farmers and their families are encountering at present. My Department recognises these difficulties and takes account of any loss of income or any additional costs incurred due to the adverse weather conditions. The increased take-up of farm assist, as indicated, shows that increasing numbers of farmers are benefiting from the scheme.

The farm assist scheme is a practical response by my Department of the plight of low-income farmers and it represents a long-term safety net for them. It not only benefits farm families with children, but provides increased payments to farming couples without children and to single farmers on low income.

Appendix

Breakdown by County of new Farm Assist Registrants since end of July 2002.

County	Number of Claims
Carlow	4
Cavan	12
Clare	15
Cork	45
Donegal	26
Galway	41
Kerry	38
Kildare	7
Kilkenny	9
Laois	7
Leitrim	19
Limerick	15
Longford	9
Louth	2
Mayo	47
Meath	3
Monaghan	19
Offaly	3
Roscommon	19
Sligo	31
Tipperary	31
Westmeath	2
Wexford	14
Wicklow	3