Seán Power
Question:11 Mr. Power asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the plans, if any, he has to introduce flexibility into the operation of premia quotas for farmers wishing to avail of the farm retirement scheme.
Written Answers. - Farm Retirement Scheme.
The European Commission recently adopted a number of measures which I had proposed in order to ensure greater flexibility in the operation of the suckler cow and ewe premium quota regimes in the context of the farm retirement scheme.
Farmers participating in the farm retirement scheme are to be permitted to lease their suckler cow and ewe quota rights for the duration of their participation in the scheme. In addition the requirement to use at least 50 per cent of the quota rights during two consecutive years is to be waived for participants in the scheme.
The new rules on leasing quota rights in the context of the farm retirement scheme will be particularly beneficial to those farmers who wish to participate in the scheme and who do not wish at this stage to transfer their quota rights permanently to other farmers. The abolition of the 50 per cent rule governing the utilisation of quota rights for participants in the scheme will also introduce a greater degree of flexibility into the scheme by allowing participants to hold their quotas without penalties where the terms of the scheme permit it, thereby enhancing the scheme's success.