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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 10 Dec 2002

Vol. 559 No. 1

Written Answers. - Farm Retirement Scheme.

Jimmy Deenihan

Question:

162 Mr. Deenihan asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when payment of early farm retirement will resume to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25522/02]

It was necessary to suspend payment of the early farm retirement pension to the person named with effect from 11 October 2002 because of a delay in submitting certain documentation in relation to the substitution of a transferee. This documentation has now been received and payment of her pension, with all arrears due, will be made before Christmas.

Michael Moynihan

Question:

163 Mr. M. Moynihan asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when an application for the early retirement scheme by a person (details supplied) in County Cork will be finalised following this person's application under the scheme in August 2002. [25663/02]

The person named is, in fact, a participant in the 1994 scheme of early retirement from farming, having entered that scheme in May 1996. It was necessary to suspend the pension earlier this year because a difficulty had arisen in relation to the transferee's undertakings.

It was a requirement of the 1994 early retirement scheme that the young person taking over the holding must acquire additional land and farm the enlarged holding for the period for which the pension is granted. The transferee in this case had leased the additional land. In March 2002 the lease was terminated, and my Department informed the person named that the transferee must find other land so that payment of the pension could continue. It was necessary to suspend payment of the pension from 30 August 2002 as my Department had been given no evidence that the transferee had found replacement land. On 12 November, however, the legal representative of the person named informed my Department that replacement land had been acquired. The position is currently being clarified between officials of my Department and the legal representative and a decision on the future payment of the pension will be made as soon as the precise circumstances have been established.

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