Vol. 511 No. 6
228 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the plans, if any, he has to change the ruling that 50 per cent of income must come from the farm under the farm early retirement scheme in view of the farming climate; and if he will reduce this 50 per cent to a more reasonable amount in view of the fact that many farmers must boost farming income with part-time employment. [25352/99]
Under the present scheme of early retirement from farming which was approved under EU Council Regulation 2079/92, 50 per cent or more of the retiring farmer's total income before retirement, and of the transferee's total income subsequently, must be earned from farming.
My Department is preparing a new early retirement scheme as part of a new rural development plan which will be submitted to the European Commission in December. I will be seeking the Commission's earliest approval for the plan. The regulation under which the plan is being prepared does not include, in its provisions for early retirement measures, the requirement that the retiring farmer and the transferee be engaged in farming as a main occupation. The draft scheme being prepared by my Department will take account of this.
