Vol. 521 No. 5
115 Mr. M. Kitt asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the number of applications to his Department for the early farm retirement scheme, where there is difficulty where the transferee has died; the action to be taken by the Department in these circumstances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17697/00]
My Department is considering five cases where the farming transferee has died.
The scheme of early retirement from farming makes no explicit provision for such cases and the governing principle is that when a retiring farmer is admitted to the scheme, the transferred holding must be farmed in accordance with the terms of the scheme for the entire period for which the pension is payable. Therefore, in cases where transferees die, the transferors must seek to find replacements.
Each of the cases on hands is being examined on its own merits and my Department will advise the participants concerned of the outcome.
116 Mr. M. Kitt asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the number of applications to his Department for the early farm retirement scheme who have now been told that they have to refund some or all of the payment; if payment of social welfare pensions is the reason in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17698/00]
It is a condition of the scheme that participants must apply, on reaching their 66th birthday, to the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs for either the contributory and non-contributory old age pension. This condition also applies to participants' partners in a joint management application. If a pension is awarded it must be offset against the farm retirement pension. Participants in the scheme are told of this condition when they join, and they are required to notify my Department if they or their partners in joint management are awarded an old age pension.
117 Mr. Aylward asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development if he will arrange to have EU farm retirement pension paid to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny where the application was made and all details submitted in August 1999. [17699/00]
The person named applied for the early retirement pension on 24 September 1999. Due to the large number of applications received in the closing months of 1999 a backlog in the processing of applications has occurred. However, the processing of this case is nearing completion and the applicant will be notified of the outcome in the coming weeks.
