Michael Finucane
Question:199 Mr. Finucane asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when a farm retirement pension will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Limerick. [18798/97]
Written Answers. - Farm Retirement Scheme.
This person's spouse has applied to join the scheme under the joint management arrangement.
The person named has been asked to confirm whether he has reached 66 years of age because it is a condition of the scheme that in a joint management application, a participant or a participant's spouse on reaching their 66th birthday must apply to the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs for either a contributory or a non-contributory old age pension. If such a pension is payable it must be deducted from the farm retirement pension. In any event evidence of the application and the reply from that Department must be submitted to my Department at the relevant time.
When the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs has confirmed the situation, this application for the farm retirement pension will be processed and payment will be made with effect from 6 May 1997, the date of valid application.
Michael Finucane
Question:200 Mr. Finucane asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the current status of an application for farm retirement pension for a person (details supplied) in County Limerick; and when it will be paid. [18799/97]
An application by this person is currently being processed and is expected to be finalised within the next three weeks.
Jimmy Deenihan
Question:201 Mr. Deenihan asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the number of farmers who have qualified for the early farm retirement scheme to date in 1997; the amount of funding remaining in the programme; if this amount is sufficient to meet the demand up to the year 2000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18800/97]
The number of new participants in the early retirement scheme since 1 January 1997 amounts to 1376. The 1997 budget allocation amounts to £61.19 million. Adequate funding will be provided to meet the requirements of the current scheme which expires in 1999. I will be supporting the continuation of the scheme with appropriate funding requirements in discussions with the European Commission.