Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 June 2004
173 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the options available to persons whose period of participation in the early retirement for farming scheme has come to an end; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17897/04]
View answerThere are no restrictions on off-farm activities either during or after the period when a retired farmer is a participant in the early retirement scheme. The only restriction on former participants in the scheme of early retirement from farming is that they cannot return to commercial farming in their own right. I have recently secured the agreement of the European Commission that retired farmers, both during and after their time as participants in the early retirement scheme, may engage in farming related activities as an employee of a business providing services to farmers, although a retired farmer cannot work on the farm from which he or she retired, or work directly for another farmer.
