Written Answers Nos. 433-455
433. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Social Protection if she is considering increasing the threshold of €100 over the equivalent rate of the State pension (contributory) as the upper limit for payment of the fuel allowance in view of the pressure on fuel costs. [47536/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Fuel Allowance is a payment of €28.00 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €784 each year) from October to April, to over 370,000 low income households, at an estimated cost of €300 million in 2021. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs. The allowance represents a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. It is not intended to meet those costs in full. Only one allowance is paid per household.
My Department also pays an electricity or gas allowance under the household benefits scheme at an estimated cost of €195 million in 2021.
The criteria for fuel allowance are framed in order to direct the limited resources available to my Department in as targeted a manner as possible. All recipients of non-contributory payments are accepted as satisfying the means-test for fuel. People who are in receipt of a qualifying contributory payment must also satisfy a means test.
The €100 a week means limit is significantly higher that the weekly fuel allowance rate of €28.00 and also the combined weekly total of household benefits and fuel allowance added together (€39.15).
Any extension of the fuel allowance qualifying criteria, such as increasing the allowable means for fuel allowance purposes, can only be considered while taking account of the overall budgetary context and the availability of financial resources.
Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme a special heating supplement may be paid to assist people in certain circumstances. Exceptional needs payments may be made to help meet an essential, once-off cost which an applicant is unable to meet from his / her own resources.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
434. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Social Protection if the suspension of the waiting time for recruiting a person aged under 30 years of age onto JobsPlus will continue during 2022; and if so, the conditions of eligibility for different options that will apply. [47537/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraJobsPlus is a subsidy paid to employers who recruit long-term unemployed people for new positions in their workplace. Employers can avail of JobsPlus when filling new positions or positions that arise as a consequence of natural turnover and receive a subsidy of €7,500 or €10,000 per employee. The value of the grant is dependent on the age of the new employee and their duration of unemployment, over a two-year period of employment.
Under the Government’s Pathways to Work 2021 – 2025 strategy, my Department is committed to ensuring all services delivered by Intreo Centres nationally have to work not just for jobseekers but also for employers. Recruitment subsidies such as JobsPlus reduce the risk of recruitment for employers as we move through the final phases of the pandemic.
In last year’s July Jobs Stimulus, the capacity of JobsPlus was increased. The qualification criteria for those under 30 years was amended, meaning they can now avail of the support after 4 months, having previously been 12 months. This amendment is a permanent policy change to the scheme and will therefore remain in place during 2022.
Time spent in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment can be counted for the purposes of eligibility for unemployed individuals.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
435. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Social Protection if the work placement scheme will continue during 2022; and if so, the terms on which it will be made available. [47538/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI was very pleased to launch the Work Placement Experience Programme (WPEP) in July last. WPEP is a key policy initiative under the Government's new national employment services strategy; Pathways to Work 2021-2025. This sets out the national framework for activation and employment supports to assist persons, whose employment has been adversely affected by COVID, back to work, while continuing to support those who were unemployed pre-pandemic to find jobs.
WPEP is a funded work placement scheme to provide work experience for 10,000 jobseekers that have been unemployed for more than six months, including time spent on the pandemic unemployment payment (PUP). Participation on WPEP is entirely voluntary. WPEP provides quality and valuable work experience to unemployed persons. Work placements are recognised internationally as being effective in assisting jobseekers find new jobs by breaking the cycle of ‘no experience’ ‘no job’ - where the lack of work experience limits jobseekers opportunities when seeking employment. This is one of the measures recommended by the Labour Market Advisory Council for inclusion in the new Pathways Strategy.
Payments to participants will be €306 per week plus increases for qualified adults and children. Underlying entitlement to secondary benefits (such as fuel allowance, Christmas bonus) are not affected by participation The WPEP rate of payment per hour equates to €10.20 per hour, which is equivalent to the national minimum wage for 30 hour(s) a week placement. This rate, plus personal allowances, is paid to all participants, regardless of age. All placements will provide training opportunities and in particular, participants will be provided with opportunities to undertake accredited training as part of the programme. Options include a new QQI accredited work placement award which will be delivered by the Education and Training Boards at levels 3, 4 and 5.
It is anticipated the WPEP will run for two years from 2021 and will therefore continue throughout 2022. Full details regarding WPEP terms and conditions can be found in the operational guidelines located on the government website at gov.ie - Operational Guidelines: Work Placement Experience Programme (www.gov.ie).
I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.
436. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Social Protection if the terms on which paternity benefit and parental benefit are paid are scheduled to change during 2022; and if so, the terms on which they will be available. [47539/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraPaternity benefit provides a payment at the rate of €245 per week in respect of two weeks paternity leave, to be taken within 6 months of the birth of the baby.
Parents benefit provides a payment of €245 per week in respect of up to 5 weeks parents leave, to be taken within 2 years of the birth of the baby. This leave and benefit can be taken in one block, or in periods of one week over the two year period,
Both of these benefits are subject to PRSI conditionality and both require the associated leave to be authorised by the employer in advance, except where the person concerned is self-employed.
Any change or amendment can only be considered in a budgetary context.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
437. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason an application by a person (details supplied) for the working family payment has not been put into payment; when they will receive payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47612/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraWorking Family Payment (WFP) is an in-work, weekly payment which provides additional income support to employees on low earnings with children. In order to qualify for WFP, an applicant must provide such documents, certificates, information or evidence as is required to process their application.
An application for WFP was received from the person concerned on 16 March 2021. Their application was disallowed on 06 April 2021, as the applicant failed to provide the requested employment related information. (2 recent payslips)
Following the recent receipt of the above requested information from the person concerned, a review of the Department's decision of 06 April 2021 has been completed. The person concerned has been awarded WFP with effect from 18 March 2021 to 16 March 2022. The first weekly payment and any arrears due will have issued to their selected financial account on 30 September 2021.
The person concerned was notified in writing of this revised decision on 29 September 2021, and of the right of review and appeal.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
438. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding the fuel allowance for a person (details supplied) in Dublin 11; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47638/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe fuel allowance is a payment under the National Fuel Scheme to help with the cost of heating a home during the winter months. It is paid to people who are in receipt of certain qualifying social welfare payments and who also satisfy certain other conditions.
Carer's allowance (CA) is not a qualifying payment for receipt of fuel allowance.
However, carers may qualify for the fuel allowance if they are getting half-rate CA and another qualifying social welfare payment.
In this case, the person concerned is not in receipt of a qualifying payment.
Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme, a weekly or monthly supplement may be paid to assist people whose means are insufficient to meet their needs in certain circumstances.
A special heating supplement may be paid to assist people who have special heating needs. A person may qualify for a heating supplement, if they can show that they have extra heating needs because of their age, medical condition or disability, are living alone or only with a dependent adult or dependent children and satisfy a means test.
In addition, exceptional needs payments (ENP) may be made to help meet an essential, once-off cost which an applicant is unable to meet out of his or her own resources. There is no automatic entitlement to this payment. Each application is decided on the particular circumstances of the case. The person concerned could apply for these payments from her local community welfare service.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
439. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of community welfare officers that work in County Cavan by office; the number of community welfare officers in the county that have been absent from work due to illness in the past six months by office; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47639/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra441. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Social Protection the average time that community welfare officers have been absent due to illness in County Cavan over the past six months; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47651/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 439 and 441 together.
The Community Welfare Service in my Department delivers the supplementary welfare allowance scheme which is the safety net within the overall social welfare system. This scheme provides assistance to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependents.
There are three Community Welfare Officers on the Community Welfare Services team in Cavan. The team is supported by a Clerical Officer.
I am not at liberty to disclose personal data in respect of individual officers but can confirm that two members of staff are currently on sick leave.
I am assured by local management that arrangements were immediately put in place to ensure continuity of this critical service. Two Community Welfare Officers were reassigned from other areas on a fulltime basis and the situation is kept under constant review. All applications have been actioned and there is no backlog.
I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
440. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Social Protection if the funding for the school meals programme in a school (details supplied) can be increased to reflect the number of students currently attending the school. [47640/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food to some 1,506 schools and organisations benefiting 230,000 children. The objective of the programme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children who are unable, due to lack of good quality food, to take full advantage of the education provided to them. The programme is an important component of policies to encourage school attendance and extra educational achievement.
A budget of €65.1 million has been provided for the scheme in 2021.
The programme provides funding towards food services for disadvantaged school children through two schemes: the urban school meals scheme and the school meals (local projects) scheme. The Urban School Meals Scheme for primary schools is operated and administered by local authorities and is part-financed by my Department.
In recent years, entry to the School Meals Scheme has been confined to DEIS schools in addition to schools identified as having levels of concentrated disadvantage that would benefit from access to the School Meals Programme.
Prior to the introduction of DEIS in 2005, all schools and organisations that were part of one of a number of Department of Education and Skills’ initiatives for disadvantaged schools were eligible to participate in the programme, which included Breaking the Cycle, Giving Children an Even Break, the Disadvantaged Area Scheme, Home School Community Liaison and the School Completion Programme. These schools and organisations have continued to remain in the scheme since the introduction of DEIS in 2005 but their level of funding has been capped at the same rate year on that year to allow for the concentration of the scheme on DEIS schools.
The Department of Education is in the final stages of refinement of the new DEIS identification model, based on school enrolment data and the latest data available from Census 2016 using the HP Deprivation Index. A detailed quality analysis of the data has been carried out by members of the DEIS Technical Group which contains officials from their Department and the Educational Research Centre. The work of this group is at an advanced stage and a consultation process with education stakeholder representatives on the technical aspect of this model has commenced. It is envisaged that this will then provide the basis for development of a DEIS resource allocation system to match resources to identified need.
The school referred to by the Deputy was one of 175 non-DEIS schools that were identified by the Department of Education as requiring additional supports and were invited to apply for a breakfast club following the publication of the DEIS Action Plan 2017. They have operated a breakfast club since the 2017/2018 academic year. As this is a non-DEIS school, the level of funding provided is capped. Schools are advised of their allocation at the beginning of the academic year and are asked to manage their expenditure for the year ahead accordingly.
I intend to commission an independent evaluation of the school meals programme to inform future policy decisions in relation to the scheme. Current Departmental policy in relation to non-DEIS schools will be examined as part of this evaluation.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
442. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision will be made on an invalidity pension application by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47714/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraInvalidity pension (IP) is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and for no other reason and who satisfy the pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions.
The Department received a claim for IP for the person referred to on 11 June 2021. In order to determine his medical eligibility, the Department issued a request to the Department for Social Development, Social Security Agency, Overseas Benefits Unit, Belfast on 26 June 2021 to have a medical assessment conducted. The completed medical report from Northern Ireland was received back on 03 September 2021 and his medical eligibility for IP has been determined. The claim for IP has been refused on the grounds that the medical conditions for the scheme are not satisfied. Notification of the decision issued to the person concerned on 29 September 2021 informing him of this decision, the reasons for it and of his right of review and appeal.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
443. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Social Protection the details of any proposed change in calculating the State pension (contributory) moving from the total contributions approach and yearly average methods to the total contributions approach only method; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47731/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Pensions Commission was established in November 2020 to examine sustainability and eligibility issues with the State Pension and the Social Insurance Fund, in fulfilment of a Programme for Government commitment.
As part of its Terms of Reference, the Commission was tasked with considering options to meet the Programme for Government commitment to introduce a Total Contributions Approach.
The Commission has now concluded its work and has submitted its final report to me. The report itself is extremely detailed, running to several hundred pages, and covers a range of complex matters in relation to the Pensions system which will require very careful consideration. I will bring the report to Cabinet in the near future, after which the report will be published. The Government is committed to taking action having regard to the recommendations of the Commission within six months.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy at this time.
444. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the progress to date in processing an application for supplementary welfare in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47732/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy officials have advised that three Exceptional Needs Payments were awarded on 30/9/2021 to the person concerned towards the cost of furniture and appliances for her new accommodation. The total amount awarded is €2749.00 for payment into her nominated bank account on 4/10/2021.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
445. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a person (details supplied) has been waiting so long for their carer’s allowance appeal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47733/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraCarer's allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and who is providing full-time care and attention to a child or an adult who has such a disability that as a result they require that level of care.
An application for CA was received from the person concerned on 21 May 2021.
The evidence submitted in support of this application was examined by a Deciding Officer (DO) and the claim was disallowed as the evidence submitted did not indicate that the requirement for full-time care was satisfied in respect of the care recipient.
The DO also disallowed CA as the person concerned was on a Community Employment (CE) Scheme and had also failed to provide bank statements when requested
The person concerned was notified on 22 June 2021 of this decision, the reasons for it and of her right of review and appeal.
A review was requested on 5 July 2021 with further medical evidence submitted. Following this review, it was determined that the full-time care condition was satisfied. The decision of 22 June 2021 to disallow CA remained unchanged however as the person was on a CE Scheme and failed to provide requested documents.
A review was requested on 11 August 2021 with additional evidence submitted. On examination of this evidence, CA was awarded from 12 August 2021.
The first payment issued to her nominated bank account on 30 September 2021. Arrears of allowance due issued on 30 September 2021.
The person concerned was notified on 21 September 2021 of this decision, the reason for it and of her right of appeal.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
446. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Social Protection if her Department will consider extending the duration of child benefit to last until a child has completed secondary school in order to benefit those who turn 19 in their sixth year of secondary school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47734/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraChild benefit is a monthly payment made to families with children in respect of all qualified children up to the age of 16 years. The payment continues to be paid in respect of children until their 18th birthday who are in full-time education, or who have a disability. Child benefit is currently paid to over 631,000 families in respect of almost 1.2 million children with expenditure of more than €2.1 billion in 2020.
Families on low incomes may be able to avail of a number of social welfare schemes that support children in full-time education until the age of 22, including:
Increase for a Qualified Child (IQC) with primary social welfare payments;
the Working Family Payment for low-paid employees with children; and
the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance.
These schemes provide targeted assistance that is directly linked to household income and thereby support low-income families with older children participating in full-time education.
As part of Budget 2021, I increased the rates for a qualified child aged under 12 by €2 to €38 per week, and for a qualified child aged 12 or older by €5 to €45 per week. These increases came into effect in January 2021.
Extending Child Benefit in respect of full time students in second level education who are over 18 years of age would have significant cost implications and would have to be considered in an overall budgetary context.
447. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection when the full rate of disability allowance will be restored to a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47755/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraFollowing a review of the entitlement of the person concerned, it was found that he had a decrease in his means from his previous assessment. Based on the information provided to my Department, a maximum rate of disability allowance (DA) was awarded with effect from 30 June 2021.
A letter issued to the person concerned informing him of this on 29 September 2021. Arrears of payment due have issued to the person concerned.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
448. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the progress to date in the determination of an application by a person (details supplied) for a living alone allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47764/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra449. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the eligibility of a person (details supplied) for the fuel allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47765/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 448 and 449 together.
The person concerned is currently in receipt of a reduced rate of Illness Benefit from the Department, based on her earnings in the relevant tax year. She is also in receipt of a top-up payment by way of a basic Supplementary Welfare Allowance to bring her to the appropriate income level for her household circumstances.
The Illness Benefit payment, which is her primary payment, is not a qualifying payment for either the fuel allowance or the living alone allowance. As the person concerned has not been in receipt of basic Supplementary Welfare Allowance for 15 months, this claim would not qualify for the Fuel Allowance.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
450. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a secular body is defined as one with 50 members or less with respect to the definition of a body permitted to apply for additions to the Register of Solemnisers under the Civil Registration Act 2004; her plans to amend this number; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47840/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe criteria for consideration of a secular body to solemnise marriage in the State is set out in section 45A of the Civil Registration Act, 2004, as amended. These criteria are designed to ensure the institution of marriage is protected by applying a rigorous set of rules regarding the type of body that can be deemed eligible and are sufficiently robust so that the authority to solemnise marriage would be granted only to stable, long-standing and reputable organisations.
The extension of bodies permitted to solemnise marriage is to reflect the increasingly diverse nature of Irish society. As with the other criteria set out in the Act, the purpose is to regulate and allow for the determination of bodies that might be considered to be allowed to conclude marriage in the State.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
451. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Social Protection if she has plans for a hot school meals programme expansion for 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47892/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food to some 1,506 schools and organisations benefitting 230,000 children. The objective of the programme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children who are unable, due to lack of good quality food, to take full advantage of the education provided to them. The programme is an important component of policies to encourage school attendance and extra educational achievement.
A budget of €65.1 million has been provided for the scheme in 2021.
As part of Budget 2019, funding was provided for a pilot scheme from September 2019, providing hot school meals in primary schools at a cost of €1m for 2019 and €2.5m in 2020. The pilot involved 37 schools benefitting 6,744 students for the 2019/2020 academic year and was aimed primarily at schools with no onsite cooking facilities.
In Budget 2021, I announced that an additional €5.5m would be provided to extend the provision of hot school meals to an additional 35,000 primary school children, currently receiving the cold lunch option.
Any request for additional funding for a hot school meals programme expansion for 2022 and beyond will need to be considered as part of the budgetary process.
I am committed to continuing to grow the hot school meals element of the school meals programme and building further on the significant extension announced as part of Budget 2021.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
452. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of programme for Government commitments (details supplied); if they have been completed; if not, the timeline on their progress; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48005/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020-2025 is the national strategy to reduce poverty and improve social inclusion in Ireland and aims to reduce consistent poverty to 2% of the population or less by 2025. The strategy contains seven high level goals with 22 specific targets, which will be delivered by 66 unique commitments - or actions - across Government. These include a commitment to “develop a comprehensive programme of work to further explore the drivers of food poverty and to identify mitigating actions”.
In order to progress this work, a Food Poverty Working Group has been established, chaired by Minister Joe O’Brien, Minister of State with responsibility for social inclusion. Membership includes relevant Government Departments (including Children, Equality, Disability, Integration & Youth; Education; Health and Social Protection) and representatives from Crosscare, the Society of St Vincent de Paul and the Children’s Rights Alliance. The Group has met three times since it was established in April this year and is completing a mapping exercise of the supports provided across Government at a national level to address food poverty. The next meeting of the group is expected to take place in November.
The Government established a Child Maintenance Review Group to examine certain issues in relation to child maintenance in Ireland. The Group is chaired by former Circuit Court Judge Catherine Murphy and includes legal, policy and academic professionals as well as officials from my Department and the Department of Justice.
The Group's Terms of Reference are to consider and make recommendations on: (i) the current treatment of child maintenance payments in my Department; (ii) the current provisions regarding liable relatives managed by my Department; and (iii) the establishment of a Child Maintenance Agency in Ireland.
The work of the Group is well underway. To date, the Group has held ten meetings and there are a number of other meetings scheduled on a regular basis over the coming months. A consultation process to facilitate feedback from stakeholder groups and members of the public in order to inform the Group's work has been undertaken. I expect that Group's work can be finalised by the end of the year.
I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
453. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to a settlement between a State agency (details supplied) and the Revenue Commissioners; if there are any agencies under her Department’s remit that have had a similar issue or have made a settlement with the Revenue Commissioners in relation to any issue in the past five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48031/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe agencies under the Department of Social Protection have no issues to report and have not had to make a settlement with the Revenue Commissioners in relation to any issue in the past five years.
454. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of increasing the depreciation rate for farm equipment and machinery to a standard 10% with regard to farm assist; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48097/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra455. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of including forestry premium payments within income from farm schemes and direct payments disregards; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48098/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra456. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of allowing a three-year income test assessment for farm assist applicants; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48099/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 454 to 456, inclusive, together.
Farm Assist is a social assistance support payment for farmers on low incomes who satisfy the scheme’s statutory conditions, including a means test. Recipients retain the advantages of the Jobseeker's Allowance scheme, such as the retention of secondary benefits and access to activation programmes. The 2021 Further Revised Estimate provides for expenditure of €61.7 million on Farm Assist.
The means test for Farm Assist takes account of all income sources and farm outgoings. There are annual disregards for dependent children; €254 for each of the first two children and €381 for the third and other children. Remaining farm income and income from off-farm self-employment is then assessed at 70%. In line with other means tested social welfare schemes, the first €20,000 of capital is not assessed.
At present, specified income disregards apply to income received under the following agri-environmental grant schemes: the Rural Environmental Protection Scheme (REPS), the Agri-Environmental Options Scheme (AEOS), the National Parks and Wildlife Service Farm Plan Scheme (NPWS) and the Green Low-Carbon Agri-Environment Scheme (GLAS). A disregard of €2,540 applies to the total payments through these schemes with 50% of the balance assessed as means.
The Forestry Premium Payments Scheme applies to farmers and others who have land under afforestation. Premiums paid under this scheme are assessed in line with the normal farm income, at 70%. On the basis that 10% of recipients are in receipt of the forestry premium payments, the additional cost of including them under the existing disregard applied to the agri-environmental grant schemes would be over €1 million in a full year. This does not take account of any future inflows to the scheme if Forestry Premium Payments were included.
In the case of capital assets, such as farm machinery and equipment, the capital cost is not allowed as an expense. An allowance is made for the depreciation of these assets instead. Where farm machinery or equipment is purchased outright, an allowance for depreciation relative to their usage is made. There would be a cost to increase the depreciation to a standard rate of 10% which could only be considered in a budgetary context and would require a detailed analysis to provide an accurate costing. Such a costing is not readily available.
The annual Farm Assist Review is a necessary part of the normal review process. 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 to ensure that the assessment reflects the current situation accurately.
The Government made a commitment in the Programme for Government and in the Our Rural Future Rural Development Policy 2021-2025, to review the means assessment disregards for the Farm Assist scheme. This technical review is underway and the report will be submitted to me shortly for consideration.
I hope that this clarifies the position at this time.
