Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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27. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the progress made in identifying additional agricultural schemes under the new CAP which will be disregarded with regard to farm assist. [5847/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Farm Assist is a statutory income support specifically for farmers on low-incomes. There are approximately 4,400 claims in payment at present. Government has provided €49.4 million for the scheme for 2023.

I significantly expanded the list of agri-environmental schemes that attract a disregard for Farm Assist, from June 2022. In addition, I announced an increase in the amount of the disregard for agri-environmental schemes, which almost doubled the amount from €2,540 to €5,000. This measure came into effect in January 2023.

Officials in the Department are working with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to identify schemes in Ireland's Common Agricultural Policy Strategic Plan 2023-2027 which may be considered for inclusion in the list of schemes which attract this disregard. The process for providing for a further expansion of the list schemes is underway.

I trust this clarifies the position.