Vol. 503 No. 1
91 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if the terms and conditions of the farm early retirement scheme allow for the wife of a farmer to give general advice and assistance to her son in a situation where he has taken over the family farm and where her husband as the retired farmer is being paid the farm retirement pension pursuant to the scheme. [9442/99]
In the case of a sole application the spouse of the retiring farmer may give assistance to the transferee i.e. the person taking over the released land. In relation to a joint ownership application, where both spouses apply as transferors, neither spouse may give assistance to the transferee. In a joint management situation where the spouse of the owner of the released land receives the pension because this is a more favourable option, both spouses must cease all commercial farming activity definitively and are precluded from giving any assistance to the transferee.
