Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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Question 141: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of farmers in receipt of the farm assist payment; the number of persons his Department estimate are eligible for such a payment; the steps being taken by his Department to make persons aware of the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37440/05]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 153: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs when he intends to improve entitlements in respect of farm assist; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37518/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 141 and 153 together.

Some 7,880 farm families are currently in receipt of payments under the farm assist scheme from a high of approximately 8,700 in 2003. It was difficult to estimate the likely level of take-up of the scheme since the numbers availing of its predecessor, small-holders assistance, had been in decline for several years before farm assist was first introduced in April 1999. The benefits to those who have joined the scheme have been significant. The average weekly payment is approximately €150.

There are a number of factors which have an impact on the take-up of the scheme, notably, the significant increase in off-farm employment in recent years and the introduction of the rural social scheme by the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. Of the 2,000 farmers in receipt of RSS, approximately 760 are listed by the Department as having transferred directly from farm assist. A major media campaign on local radio to promote farm assist was conducted in the autumn of 2002 at a cost of almost €100,000. The campaign consisted of prime time spots in 19 local radio stations and the placing of adverts in the provincial newspapers and farmer's publications. During the same period, an information video about the scheme was transmitted at 24 livestock marts nationwide. The video was also shown on a large screen at the national ploughing championships in September 2002 and in each subsequent year including this year.

My Department's information service, in conjunction with the IFA, gave information presentations on the scheme to groups of farmers at various locations throughout the country. The farm assist video was shown at the presentations and was followed by a questions and answers session. In 2003 another advert was placed in the Irish Farmers Handbook. Significant improvements to the scheme were announced in last year's budget. These included a €14 weekly increase in farm assist for a single person and up to €23.30 per week for a married person. In addition, the capital disregard in the means assessment increased from under €12,700 to €20,000 in June 2005. The question of a further increase in farm assist is a matter for consideration in a budgetary context having regard to available resources and government commitments.