Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 401: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the data available to him regarding the financial circumstances of those receiving grant aid under suckler cow schemes, disadvantaged area and single farm payments including information on the numbers in receipt of a means tested social welfare payment; the number of farmers who are entirely dependent on agriculture for their household income; the number of farmers who themselves have off-farm income; the number of farmers whose spouses have off-farm income; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32744/11]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Eligibility for grant aid under Departmental schemes and EU Schemes administered by this Department is based on criteria such as animal numbers, acreage farmed or location, Single Payment entitlements held, or land classified as disadvantaged, etc, and as a consequence specific financial information on applicants is not recorded. However, the following broad information is available from the Teagasc 2010 National Farm Survey:

· 23% of all Households were in receipt of a pension, either to the farm holder or spouse (2009)

· 49% of farms were recorded as not having off-farm income accruing either to the farm holder or spouse (2010)

· 36% of farmers had off-farm income (2009)

· 34.8% of farmers' spouses had off farm income (2009)

One of the main supports for low income farmers is the Farm Assist Scheme, run by the Department of Social Protection. According to the records of that Department, at 28 October there were 11,239 recipients on the scheme.