This article is from page 67 of the 2007-03-06 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 67 JPG
FARM families in the Miltown Mal- bay, Corofin and Ballyvaughan ar- eas can now avail of a free weekly outreach service to access informa- tion on welfare entitlements, farm schemes and training opportunities.
The North Clare Farm Family Sup- port Service will host open and free clinics in these areas each week and are inviting farmers on low incomes to attend.
“We are offering a one to one for farm families – to help them identify the different ways which they can identify ways of increasing their in- come,” said Gerry McDonagh of the
farm support service.
“Every farmer on low income will have different need. It may be that social welfare is the way to go for some while others might be better off looking at on farm activities such as REPS.
“Other might be more suited to looking for off farm employment and we can help them find the training that they need to explore this.”
The service 1s now equipped to pro- vide farm families with an on-the- spot estimation of their entitlements under the range of Social Welfare schemes including the State Pensions and Farm Assist. Over 400 farm families throughout the county are
currently availing of this latter enti- tlement which is worth an average of €168 per week per household.
Many more Clare farming families may be eligible for the payment than currently avail of it. This is on ac- count of the less stringent means test associated with Farm Assist relative to other means tested schemes and the 14 per cent fall in farm income last year.
The outreach clinics will take place at the Parochial Hall Miltown Mal- bay from 10.30am to 12.30pm each Tuesday. They will move to the Her- itage Centre, Corofin from 2pm until 4pm on Tuesday while the service is based in St John’s Hall, Bally-
vaughan from 12.30pm until 2.30pm on Thursdays.
The North Clare Farm Family Sup- port Service is strictly confidential. Farmers can contact Gerry McDon- agh, Rural Resource Worker at 065- 7072467 or 086-8544036 for a home visit. They are also welcome to call to the office in Monastery House, Parliament St, Ennistymon or to any of the new outreach locations.
The service is administered by the County Clare Cohesion Process and is an initiative funded by the De- partment of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs under the Local Development Social Inclusion Pro- eramme (LDSIP).