Mary Harney
Ceist:16 Miss Harney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the measures, if any, he proposes to take to give effect to the commitment to develop an effective farm retirement scheme.
Written Answers. - Farm Retirement Scheme.
Jim O'Keeffe
Ceist:18 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry if his attention has been drawn to the fact that many family farm transfers are now being deferred because of the delay in the introduction of the farm retirement scheme; and if he will confirm that all such transfers completed after 1 March 1993 will come within the terms of the scheme when it is ultimately implemented.
Pat Rabbitte
Ceist:19 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry if the Government intends to participate in the proposed EC funded early retirement scheme due to begin in April 1993; if so, the basis on which it will participate; and when he will announce details of the scheme.
Charles Flanagan
Ceist:21 Mr. Flanagan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry when it is proposed to implement an early retirement scheme for farmers arising out of the Common Agricultural Policy reform measures; when he will give the details of this scheme; whether money has been allocated in the Book of Estimates for 1993 in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ivan Yates
Ceist:148 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the minimum size of land holding required by transferees under the proposed farm retirement scheme; and whether there is any percentage restriction on the level of this prior ownership of land in relation to the overall holding to be transferred.
Ivan Yates
Ceist:149 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry if there is any proposed upper or lower age limit on transferees of land under the proposed farm retirement scheme.
Ivan Yates
Ceist:150 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry if there will be any restriction in the proposed early farm retirement scheme in relation to the length of time a young farmer will need to have owned or leased land before being entitled to take part in this scheme; and if so, the time limit which is being considered.
Ivan Yates
Ceist:165 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the proposed cost of establishing the early farm retirement scheme.
Ivan Yates
Ceist:166 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry if, where there is a joint ownership of land between spouses and one spouse only is under 65 years of age, they will be eligible under the proposed farm retirement scheme.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 16, 18, 19, 21, 148, 149, 150, 165 and 166 together.
I expect that the scheme for early retirement from farming under EC Regulation No. 2079/92 will be in operation here, following clearance by the EC Commission, by the end of the summer.
Details of the scheme which I will be introducing are at present being drawn up by my Department but I intend that it will provide attractive financial inducements to encourage farmers to consider early retirement.
The EC Regulation governing the scheme requires a significant increase in the size of agricultural holding of the transferee to improve its economic viability before Community funding will be given. The precise percentage figure which will be regarded as a significant increase has yet to be agreed with the Community. A division of family holdings, however, at a time close to the date of transfer in order to meet the enlargement requirement at the time of transfer would not be acceptable to the Commission as meeting the restructuring objectives of the scheme.
The normal situation under EC schemes is that eligibility is confined to actions taken from the date the measure is put in place in a member state. I am, however, examining this and other aspects such as age requirements for transferees and the situation in relation to joint ownership in considering the details rules for the early retirement scheme as a whole.
An amount of £1 million has been allocated to the scheme in this years estimates but as the scheme becomes fully operational, significantly larger allocations will have to be made in future years.