Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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311. To ask the Minister for Social Protection his proposals to reverse the changes to the farm assist scheme that were introduced in budgets 2012 and 2013; if he is aware that these changes have had a very negative effect on many low income farmers; if he will give consideration to the immediate reversal of those measures, in view of the serious income difficulties across all farm sectors at present; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17313/16]

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 my Department provide for expenditure of approximately €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 people. Farm families with the lowest income were least impacted by these changes as the headline rates of farm assist were maintained.

The Programme for Government contains the commitment to undertake a "Review of the Farm Assist Scheme, recognising the challenges facing farmers on low incomes". On foot of this commitment I have asked my officials to review the farm assist scheme. However, any changes to the scheme will have to be considered in a budgetary context.