Mark Wall (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome our guests today. It has been an important discussion on farm assist and RSS. I will start off with what the Cathaoirleach last mentioned. He will be aware that, over recent weeks, I have brought this up with the Department and various contributors about the net versus gross assessment. Ms Doyle stated in her introduction that we would all love to be able to spend what is gross but in reality, it is net and that causes a problem. Maybe, as the witnesses answer the questions, we can get some examples of how this is affecting farming families and farmers throughout the country. Over recent weeks, I have given examples to the Department, and through this committee, of how in my daily clinics the gross versus net argument is affecting people and disallowing them from very necessary things that they should be entitled to over periods of time. I am interested to hear how it is affecting our farming community. As has been said, farm assist is needed now more than ever with the weather conditions and what farmer families are going through at the moment.

Mr. Fitzgerald, and everyone, has spoken about the whole capital test, that is, the €20,000 versus €50,000. Obviously, there are social welfare payments like carers' allowances and disability allowance that are at €50,000 at the moment and I believe it should be at €50,000. The last day I mentioned, as the Chair and Deputy Ó Cuív have done, the number of people I deal with who are saving for a rainy day, which is costing them when it comes to social welfare because they are saving such money. The capital test should go to €50,000.

I am interested in what Mr. McNamara's said around a yearly review on farm assist. Maybe we could tease that out a bit more. He will be familiar that, as with other social welfare payments, a percentage of those are reviewed on an ongoing basis, but not on a yearly basis. I wish to tease that out. He has already mentioned the effect that is having on farming families and farmers in general.

Paperwork has been mentioned again and again. The farmers who I deal with are coming to my office for help with the amount of paperwork they have and they question whether it is worth their while filling out these 18 or 20 pages on the farm assist form. The amount of paperwork they are having to fill out at the moment is a huge issue. We have spoken at this committee about the centralisation and standardisation of forms. As someone just said, the whole social welfare system, or social protection system, has your details already on the system. Why do we have to continuously fill out forms? It is not just for farm assist; I deal with members of the farming community on other such forms they must fill out for other payments.

I wish to mention the RSS and the importance of it to rural communities. In the rural community I live in, the RSS is there and it is doing the job day in, day out. It should continue and it should be changed and fit for purpose. I welcome this discussion and assure farmers that we, on this committee, are listening to them in regard to the means test. We have had an important discussion and I wish to get some answers to the questions I have raised.