Vol. 516 No. 5
177 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development if participants under the farm retirement scheme can undertake farm related activities in outside employment, such as fencing and general maintenance work, without breaching the rules for participation in the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8497/00]
Under the terms and conditions of the scheme of early retirement from farming, a retired farmer must cease all commercial farming activity definitively.
Retired farmers are precluded from carrying out tasks which would be part of a commercial farmer's normal work. As fencing and general maintenance work are part of a commercial farmer's normal work, participants in the early retirement scheme cannot carry out these duties.
178 Mr. Flanagan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the reason a farm retirement pension was not granted to a person (details supplied) in County Laois. [8499/00]
The person named applied for an early retirement pension on 13 May 1998. On initial examination of the file she was found to be ineligible for aid as she did not have title to five hectares or more of land, which is a requirement under the terms and conditions of the scheme. On re-examination my Department decided that if she could prove title to more than five hectares of land her application could be reconsidered. My Department wrote to the applicant's solicitors on 29 June 1999 advising them of this. Until such time as this confirmation is received the processing of the application cannot be finalised.
