Vol. 509 No. 4
187 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the options, if any, open to a person (details supplied) who has applied for the farm retirement scheme but is unable to lease his land. [20627/99]
Under the terms and conditions of the scheme of early retirement from farming all the agricultural holding should, with the exception of one hectare which may be retained by the transferor, be transferred by way of sale, lease, or transfer to one or more qualified farming transferees, subject to a minimum of five hectares being transferred to each transferee.
Where a farming transferee cannot be found, the land may be reassigned to non-farming purposes, which may include forestry, on-farm tourism or the creation of ecological reserves. The holder himself may reassign the land to such purposes, or he may transfer it to a non-farming transferee. Before applying for a pension on this basis, however, the applicant must seek permission from my Department. When such permission is being sought, my Department will require documentary evidence of the applicant's efforts to find a qualified farming transferee, such as copies of newspaper advertisements and auctioneers, notices.
