Income eligibility for out-farms
Leonard says part-time or short-time work can disqualify applicants seeking electricity for out-farms and asks that this be reconsidered. Spring acknowledges the hardship and undertakes to look into it, while noting the scheme’s full-time farming requirements.
Would the Minister not agree that there is an anomaly regarding income qualifications even where people are applying in respect of out-farms? A person may at the time of application be working short-time or part-time and that disqualifies him. I would ask the Minister to ensure that such a person would not be disqualified.
Comment on this
I take the point and I can appreciate that certain hardships are caused in such cases, with which I would be personally familiar in the western counties. I will undertake to look into the matter, but the Deputy will be aware of the requirements of the scheme in relation to full-time farming.