Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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238. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding income levels at pre-budget 2013 levels; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36144/15]

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 the retention of secondary benefits and access to activation programmes. The 2015 Revised Estimates for the Department provide for expenditure of almost €89 million on the farm assist scheme which will benefit around 9,000 farmers with around 11,000 dependants each week.

All recipients of farm assist benefitted from the Christmas Bonus in December 2014 and will do so again this December. All recipients with children are benefiting from the increase in child benefit announced in both Budget 2014 and Budget 2015.

Changes introduced in Budgets 2012 and 2013 have brought farm assist into closer alignment with the jobseeker's allowance scheme’s treatment of self-employed persons. However, farm families with the lowest income will be least affected by these changes as the headline rates of farm assist have been maintained.

The assessment of means for the farm assist scheme is designed to reflect the actual net income from farming. Income and expenditure figures for the preceding year are generally used as an indicator of the expected position in the following year. However, farm assist is a flexible payment. Account is taken of any exceptional circumstances so as to ensure that the assessment accurately reflects the current situation. Any farmer experiencing lower levels of income or cash-flow issues can ask their local social welfare/Intreo office to review the level of means applying to their claim.

There are no plans to change the current scheme criteria.