Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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123. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if he will reverse the means testing changes made by his predecessor under the farm assist scheme which have the effect in many cases of imposing a euro reduction for every euro earned to the rates of payment received by persons on the scheme, thus removing any incentive to persons to earn more income; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10964/16]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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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 2016 Revised Estimates for the Department provide for expenditure of almost €85 million on the farm assist scheme.

Changes introduced in Budgets 2012 and 2013 brought farm assist into closer alignment with the jobseeker’s allowance scheme’s treatment of self-employed persons. Farm families with the lowest income were least impacted by these changes as the headline rates of farm assist were maintained.

In December last all long term welfare recipients, including recipients of farm assist, benefitted from a 75% Christmas Bonus payment. All recipients of farm assist with children are benefiting from the €5 increase in child benefit rates payable from the start of this year. In addition, farm assist recipients eligible for the fuel allowance gain from the increase of €2.50 per week, from €20 to €22.50 per week over the fuel season.

All measures introduced, including proposals relating to the farm assist scheme, are assessed and analysed in terms of the impact they have. The Programme for Government contains the commitment to undertake a "Review of the Farm Assist Scheme, recognising the challenges facing farmers on low incomes". I have asked my officials to review the farm assist scheme from a policy and an administrative point of view. Any changes to the scheme will have to be considered in a budgetary context.