Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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254. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if payments to farmers under the new green low-carbon agri-environment scheme will be disregarded for the purposes of calculating income under farm assist calculations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15388/15]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The farm assist scheme provides support for farmers on low incomes and is similar to jobseeker’s allowance. Farm assist recipients retain the advantages of the jobseeker’s allowance scheme such as retention of secondary benefits and access to activation programmes. The 2015 Estimates for the Department provide for expenditure this year on the farm assist scheme of €88.7 million.

Farm assist customers receive more beneficial treatment than other self-employed persons as payments received by farm assist recipients under the Rural Environment Protection Scheme (REPS) and the Agri-environment Options Scheme (AEOS) are assessed separately from other farm income. With regard to these payments, the first €2,540 is disregarded, then 50% of the balance and related expenses are disregarded - with the balance being assessed as means. Payments made under the new Green Low-Carbon Agri-environment Scheme (GLAS) will also be subject to this favourable treatment.