Vol. 513 No. 1
264 Mr. Creed asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development when a person (details supplied) in County Cork, who has submitted the necessary reply from the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs to his Department, will be paid a farm retirement pension. [1272/00]
The application of the person named was received on 15 October 1999. Further information was needed and this was provided on 4 November. Accordingly, the date of valid application was 4 November 1999.
The applicant sought admission to the scheme under the joint management arrangement with her husband. It is a condition of the scheme that in a joint management application, a participant or a participant's spouse must apply, on reaching their 66th birthday, to the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs for both the contributory and non-contributory old age pension. If a pension is awarded it must be offset against the farm retirement pension. Evidence of the application and the reply from that Department must be submitted to my Department before payment of the farm retirement pension can be approved.
This applicant's husband is over 66 years of age and my Department wrote to her on 2 December to inform her of this requirement. To date the necessary confirmation from the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs has not been received. On receipt of same the application for the farm retirement pension will be finalised and payment made backdated to 4 November 1999, the date of valid application.
265 Mr. Finucane asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development when a farm retirement pension will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Limerick. [1273/00]
The person named applied for an early retirement pension on 2 June 1999. However a query arose regarding the trans fer of the applicant's herd number and the applicant was informed of this. When this matter is resolved the processing of the application will be completed.
266 Mr. Finucane asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development when a farm retirement pension will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Limerick in view of the fact that the application was acknowledged on 30 June 1999. [1274/00]
The person named applied for an early retirement pension on 30 June 1999. The application is being examined and expected to be finalised shortly. When processing of an application is delayed in this way there is no financial loss to a retiring farmer. The operational procedures for the scheme specifically ensure the date of receipt in the Department of a valid application determines the date from which payment is made.
267 Mr. Finucane asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development when a farm retirement pension will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Limerick. [1275/00]
The person named applied for an early retirement pension on 10 August 1999. Due to the volume of applications under the scheme there is a significant backlog, However applications in hand are being processed by local office staff in conjunction with other priority work. When processing of an application is delayed in this way there is no financial loss to a retiring farmer. The operational procedures for the scheme specifically ensure the date of receipt in the Department of a valid application determines the date from which payment is made.
268 Mr. McGuinness asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development when a farm retirement pension will be restored to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny; and the reason for the delay in dealing with this issue. [1276/00]
My Department has no record of receiving an application from the person named. However a pension under the scheme of early retirement from farming is being paid to his wife. Both the person named and his wife are in receipt of social welfare pensions and the terms of the scheme require that her payment under the scheme be reduced by the amount of their social welfare pensions.
