Vol. 551 No. 4
99 Mr. Aylward asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development if his attention has been drawn to the problem the condition with regard to the age rule under the current early retirement scheme is causing to older farmers who are interested in availing of the scheme; if he will consider adapting the age rule to include applicants up to the age of 50; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10702/02]
The question evidently relates to the upper age limit for transferees under the new early retirement scheme introduced in 2000. An upper age limit of 44 years applies in respect of applications received in 2002. It will come down one year at a time until it reaches 40 years in 2006.
The purpose of the early retirement scheme is primarily to improve the age structure of farming by offering older farmers an incentive to retire early and consequently to enable younger farmers to succeed them earlier than might otherwise have been the case. A farmer can retire under the scheme at the age of 55. An upper age limit of 50 for transferees, only five years less than the minimum retirement age, would detract from the credibility of the scheme as a measure to improve the age structure of farming.
