To ask the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development for her assessment of the effectiveness of the Maximising Access in Rural Areas to Grants, Services and Benefits (MARA) project in providing access to services, grants and benefits for people living in rural areas who are at risk of poverty and social isolation.

I am very pleased with how the MARA Project has been delivered across all rural areas of the north of Ireland in the past 3 years. All targets set for the Project have been achieved. To date 13,479 households and over 15,000 individuals have had a holistic assessment of their needs in respect of entitlement and availability of various grants, benefits and services. From these assessments, over 36,000 referrals have been made to government agencies and departments.

An evaluation of the project which will commence shortly will provide a comprehensive assessment of the project effectiveness when it reports later this year.