Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Farm Assist is a statutory means-tested income support specifically for farmers on low incomes. There are just under 4,000 claims in payment at present. The Government has provided €50.93 million for the scheme in 2024.

I have introduced a number of improvements to the means test for Farm Assist in recent years.

Under the Farm Assist means test, income from a range of agri-environmental schemes attract a disregard of €5,000, with 50% of the balance assessed as means. The amount disregarded was increased from €2,540, with effect from January 2023.

Further to the commitment in the Programme for Government and in the Rural Development Policy 2021-2025, my Department reviewed the means assessment disregards for Farm Assist in 2021. One of the key recommendations of the report was to provide for an expansion to the list of agri-environmental schemes that qualify for a disregard. I added an additional 19 schemes to this list from June 2022, and a further 4 schemes from April 2023.

In line with the recommendation contained in the review, I am committed to continuing to work with my colleague, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, to identify any additional schemes contained in Ireland's CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027 that could be considered for inclusion in the list of agri-environmental schemes which attract a disregard for Farm Assist.

I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.