Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The farm assist (FA) scheme is a means-tested payment for farmers on low incomes and is similar to jobseeker's allowance (JA).  To qualify for the scheme a person must satisfy the means test and be engaged in farming.  Recipients retain the advantages of the JA scheme such as the retention of secondary benefits and access to activation programmes. The 2019 Revised Estimates for my Department provides for expenditure of €72 million for the FA scheme.

Social Welfare legislation defines a farmer as a person engaged in farming, farming farm land including commonage, which is owned, and used for the purposes of husbandry, is leased, and used for the purposes of husbandry, or does not form part of a larger holding and is used for the purposes of husbandry.  Husbandry is defined as the working of the land with the object of extracting the traditional produce of the land. This can include the cultivation of crops or trees (forestry) and the keeping of livestock and poultry. 

I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy and if he has a particular case of a person in these circumstances he should forward the details to my Department for examination.