asked the Minister for Lands if he intends to introduce an improved system of retirement pensions for farmers to ease succession difficulties.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Farmers' Retirement Pensions.
171.
(Cavan): A scheme for the implementation here of EEC Directive 160 on encouragement to leave agriculture has been submitted to Brussels for clearance. This scheme will provide a pension system for farmers above a certain age who wish to retire from farming. It is one of the conditions of the directive that a retiring farmer must sell or lease his holding to a development farmer. There is no provision within the framework of the directive to grant pensions to farmers merely to ease succession difficulties.
My Department are at present studying the report on farm inheritance recently issued by the Macra na Feirme study group and I expect to hold discussions on this with Macra representatives in due course.
Can the Minister explain the basic difference between the scheme he has submitted to Brussels and the scheme that was brought in some years ago?
(Cavan): The basic difference between the scheme I have submitted to Brussels and that brought in under the 1965 Act was that the latter was related to the value of the land and, generally, the pension which any farmer could get was miserably low. The best evidence I can give is that only 38 farmers availed of the scheme. Under our scheme the farmer can keep the purchase price of his farm, can qualify for a bonus on the purchase price and for a pension for life of £600 per year if he is married and £400 if single. There is no comparison between the two schemes.
I hope the scheme meets with more success than the previous one.
Would the Minister circulate to Deputies the proposals he sent to Brussels?
(Cavan): I should not like to answer off-hand whether I would do that. The scheme will not be in operation until it has been cleared by Brussels. However, I shall discuss the matter with any Deputy who wishes to speak to me about it and I shall consider if it would be appropriate for me to circulate it to Deputies. If I am advised accordingly, I shall do so.