Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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102. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of participants in the farm assist scheme; the number of farmers that will benefit from reforms to the farm assist scheme; the average increase in payment; when she intends to publish a report into the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24564/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The farm assist scheme is a means-tested statutory income support payment for farmers on low incomes. There are approximately 4,800 farm assist claims in payment at present. The Government has provided €53.9 million for the scheme for 2022.

The Government made a commitment in the Programme for Government and in the Rural Development Policy 2021-2025 to review the means assessment disregards for the Farm Assist. I recently published the report of this review and it is available on the Department's website.

As part of this review process it was recommended to provide for an extensive expansion to the list of agri-environmental schemes which qualify for a disregard. These measures have now been enacted in the Social Welfare Act 2022 and will be implemented from June 2022.

Figures are not available as to the number of farmers who will benefit from this measure or the average increase. However, if a farmer in receipt of one of these grants at the average payment of €2,132, this measure gives a difference in the weekly payment between the current assessment and the new assessment of €28.70. This calculation assumes that the person is not currently benefiting from a disregard for one of the schemes currently included.

I have since agreed to carry out a review of how income from land leased out by farmers is treated in the means assessments for the State Non-Contributory Pension and the Farm Assist scheme. This is being progressed within my Department.

I trust this clarifies the position.