Vol. 549 No. 3
156 Mr. Creed asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the reason for the difference between joint management and joint ownership, in the context of the scheme of early retirement from farming; and the situation regarding the treatment of contributory pension in this regard in respect of those participating in the early retirement scheme. [6754/02]
An applicant for the early retirement scheme who is in "joint management" is someone who, though involved in the management of the land that is being transferred, does not own some or any of it. A younger spouse or partner will often apply under the joint management arrangement because he or she can draw down the pension for longer than the other spouse or partner who is the actual owner of the pension lands. A joint management application can also happen when the applicant himself or herself does not own enough land to make up the maximum area of 24 hectares on which the pension can be paid, and brings in some other land owned by a spouse or family member.
In joint management cases, any national retirement pension that either party is or becomes eligible for must be offset against the pension under the early retirement scheme. This is because eligibility for the early retirement pension has been based partly or entirely on lands that the applicant himself or herself did not own.
In a "joint ownership" case, on the other hand, each party is registered as the full owner of the farm and, provided they meet the conditions of the early retirement scheme, either may apply. In these cases, only the national retirement pension payable to the participant must be offset against the pension paid to him or her under the early retirement scheme.
