Jack Wall
Question:128 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when a decision will be reached on an early retirement pension for a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8768/99]
Written Answers. - Farm Retirement Scheme.
The person named applied for an early retirement pension on 17 November 1998. Due to the volume of work a backlog has arisen in the processing of applications. It is expected that this application will be dealt with in the next two to three weeks.
I would point out, however, that in no case does the processing time result in a financial loss to a retiring farmer. The operational procedures for the scheme specifically ensure that the date of receipt in the Department of a valid application determines the date from which payment is made.