Vol. 433 No. 1
83 Mr. Cullen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry if he will alter the requirement in the proposed farm retirement scheme that each farm must be enlarged before a retiring owner is eligible for a pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The EC Regulation governing the scheme requires a significant increase in the size of agricultural holding of the farming transferee to improve its economic viability before Community funding will be given and the proposals forwarded to the Commission reflect this requirement. The only exception allowed is where a suitable transferee to farm the holding cannot be found in which case the released land can be used for non-agricultural uses, forestry or the creation of ecological reserves.
In the consultations between my Department and the EC Commission on this and other elements of the early retirement scheme, my objective is to ensure maximum flexibility in complying with the provisions in the Regulation thus facilitating optimum take-up of the scheme in Ireland.
