Vol. 537 No. 4
77 Mr. Deenihan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the reason a person (details supplied) in County Kerry is not in receipt of a full farmer's retirement pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16486/01]
The early retirement pension payable to the person named was reduced when he became entitled to an old age contributory pension on 15 September 2000. It is a requirement of EU Council Regulation No. 2079/92, under which the 1994 scheme of early retirement from farming was introduced, that any national retirement pension to which a scheme participant becomes entitled must be offset against the pension payable under the scheme.
The same requirement is laid down in EU Council Regulation No. 1257/1999 under which the new early retirement scheme was introduced in November 2000.
