Vol. 442 No. 7
49 Mr. Bradford asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry if his attention has been drawn to a clause in the early retirement scheme whereby applicants for this scheme who are currently paying into a personal pension scheme are forced to cease their contributions to their private pensions; if he will review this particular clause of the farm retirement scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
There is no clause relating to private pensions in the early retirement scheme. However the Department's guidelines booklet, in accordance with instructions from the Department of Social Welfare, advises applicants that compulsory full PRSI deductions for the contributory old age pension will cease to be made from the commencement of the farm retirement pension but that voluntary contributions can continue to be made up to the age of 66 in order to qualify for the contributory pension, provided that contributions had been paid for three years before retirement under the scheme.
