Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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104. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the expected timeframe in which she intends to announce additional agricultural schemes in the new CAP which will be disregarded with regard to Farm Assist. [15104/23]

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 just under 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.

As I advised the Deputy last month, the process for providing for a further expansion of the list of schemes that attract this disregard is underway. I am committed to working with my colleague, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and his officials, to identify schemes in Ireland's Common Agricultural Policy Strategic Plan 2023-2027 which may be appropriate for inclusion in this list of schemes.

I trust this clarifies the position.