Vol. 504 No. 1
57 Cecilia Keaveney asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the position in relation to an early retirement application for a person (details supplied) in County Monaghan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11246/99]
The person named applied for an early retirement pension on 8 October 1998. Due to the volume of work a backlog has arisen in the processing of applications. This application will be dealt with in strict order of receipt of all the required documentation. If the documentation is in order the pension will be paid as soon as possible.
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.
