Donegal Daily
  • News
  • Sport
  • Courts
  • Jobs
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Politics
  • Features
  • Donegal County Council News
Tuesday 17°CWednesday 16°C

Donegal Daily Donegal Daily

sponsor banner
sponsor banner
  • News
  • Sport
  • Courts
  • Jobs
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Politics
  • Features
  • Donegal County Council News
News

More than 1,300 farmers avail of Farm Assist Programme across Donegal

written by Stephen Maguire April 2, 2018
FacebookTweetLinkedInPrint

More than 1,000 farmers a year across Donegal have benefited in a multi-million euro scheme for low-income farms since 2010.

Figures released by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection revealed that every year an average of 1,306 farmers in the county are getting access to the special Farm Assist means-tested financial support.

Donegal TD Joe McHugh, Minister for Irish, the Gaeltacht and the Islands, said the payments were a lifeline to some parts of rural Donegal.

“The Farm Assist scheme is a vitally important support which is benefitting more than 1,000 farmers in Donegal every year and helping them to keep a farm going and protect rural communities,” Mr McHugh said.

“It shows the Government’s ongoing commitment to supporting and sustaining rural Ireland.”

Nationwide about €74million is budgeted for the Farm Assist scheme this year.

The flexible means test also allows for significant income fluctuations from one year to the next.

Budget 2017 fully reversed the previous cuts to the Farm Assist means test. The changes included that 70% of farm income is now assessed as means, down from 100% being assessed as means.
On top of that there is an additional annual means disregard of €254 for each of the first two children and €381 for the third and subsequent children.

Under the Farm Assist programme applicants are assessed differently than other self-employed persons as payments received under the Agri-Environment Options Scheme (AEOS), Green Low-Carbon Agri-Environment Scheme (GLAS) or Special Area of Conservation (SAC) schemes are assessed separately from other farm income.

With regard to this income, the first €2,540 is disregarded, and then 50% of the balance and related expenses are disregarded – with the balance being assessed as means.

More than 1,300 farmers avail of Farm Assist Programme across Donegal was last modified: April 2nd, 2018 by Stephen Maguire
FacebookTweetLinkedInPrint

Tags:
donegalfarmFarm Assist ProgrammeMinister Joe McHugh
Stephen Maguire

Stephen Maguire is the co-founder of Donegal Daily. He has worked as a reporter for almost 30 years starting locally with the Donegal Peoples Press before moving to the Mirror Group. He continues to contribute daily to national media outlets including the Irish Times, RTE, the Irish Independent, Irish Sun, Irish Mirror, Irish Star, the Daily Mail and the Examiner.

LEAVE A COMMENT

You may also like

Watch: Nora’s Rose Garden to bloom this...

8 hours ago

North West 10K races past the €1million...

9 hours ago

Dangerous driver’s car seized a week after...

9 hours ago

Donegal Person of the Year Ball raises...

11 hours ago

No bridge too far as Fintra road...

11 hours ago

Donegal singers in Denver set for historic...

11 hours ago

Stunning ‘two-for-one’ Downings property hits market for...

12 hours ago

Leitrim blogger Jennifer Wrynne ‘grateful’ after shock...

12 hours ago

One person injured following crash in East...

14 hours ago

Can your Donegal house feature on RTÉ’s...

14 hours ago
Advertisement
Advertisement

Donegal County Council

Facebook
Donegal County Council
Advertisement
Advertisement
Donegal Daily Jobs

Read More

  • News
  • Sport
  • Courts
  • Jobs
  • Sales & Services
  • Obituaries
  • Features
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Council News

Information

  • Contact Us
  • About
  • Advertise WIth Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Terms & Conditions

Our Sites

Donegal Woman
Donegal Woman
Donegal Daily

© 2025 Donegal Daily. All rights reserved.
Website by owenod


Back To Top.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OkPrivacy policy