Farm Assist Scheme

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 July 2018

Tuesday, 24 July 2018

Ceisteanna (2526, 2527)

Niall Collins

Ceist:

2526. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to make farm assist more available to farmers in view of the recent bad winter and summer drought; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34035/18]

Niall Collins

Ceist:

2527. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons in receipt of farm assist by county in each of the years since 2010 and to date in 2018; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34036/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection

I propose to take Questions Nos. 2526 and 2527 together.

The farm assist scheme is a means-tested payment for farmers on low incomes. The 2018 Revised Estimates for my Department provide for expenditure of approximately €74 million for this scheme. A breakdown of the number of recipients on the farm assist scheme by county in each of the years since 2010 and to date in 2018 is provided in the following tabular statement.

The assessment of means for the purpose of qualifying for farm assist is designed to reflect the actual net income from farming. Income and expenditure figures for the preceding year are generally used as an indicator of the expected position in the following year. However, account is taken of any exceptional circumstances so as to ensure that the assessment accurately reflects the current situation.

Budget 2017 fully reversed the previous cuts to the farm assist means test. The changes included that 70% of farm income is now assessed as means, down from 100% (which is equivalent to a 30% income disregard) and an additional annual means disregard of €254 for each of the first two children and €381 for the third and subsequent children.

Farm assist is a flexible payment and a review of entitlement may be initiated at any time, either on request by the farmer, or by the Department. I would advise any farmer experiencing lower levels of income or cash-flow issues to request their Intreo office to review the level of means applying to their claim.

I trust this information is of assistance.

Farm Assist Recipients by county 2010 - June 2018

County	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018 (June)
Carlow	102	95	84	75	76	69	58	60	49
Cavan	401	407	404	344	326	300	265	254	248
Clare	637	643	609	566	521	455	400	346	362
Cork	917	957	922	840	788	689	606	542	511
Donegal	1,389	1,491	1,534	1,492	1,458	1,299	1,294	1,265	1,170
Dublin	11	35	37	28	32	30	33	27	11
Galway	1,133	1,137	1,112	1,035	1,000	858	767	714	711
Kerry	742	819	818	766	721	717	568	523	481
Kildare	56	53	53	39	37	28	19	21	28
Kilkenny	173	154	146	128	120	108	91	86	98
Laois	149	177	158	128	116	104	94	85	82
Leitrim	331	377	394	396	377	366	331	301	280
Limerick	265	247	250	231	216	180	164	139	157
Longford	176	258	260	232	205	177	139	130	106
Louth	81	84	87	79	82	72	59	60	57
Mayo	1,684	1,869	1,813	1,691	1,614	1,471	1,289	1,156	1,018
Meath	90	82	93	81	81	67	55	49	63
Monaghan	516	545	504	468	446	386	344	319	325
Offaly	127	133	130	107	97	89	76	72	67
Roscommon	407	433	424	384	356	319	276	262	216
Sligo	478	315	310	283	283	251	228	210	343
Tipperary	350	402	404	363	336	300	269	252	211
Waterford	84	96	92	85	78	70	64	61	57
Westmeath	134	193	197	166	153	131	120	99	86
Wexford	202	255	248	224	223	195	166	151	142
Wicklow	79	76	79	72	67	59	53	50	59
Totals	10,714	11,333	11,162	10,303	9,809	8,790	7,828	7,234	6,938