Vol. 519 No. 6
125 Mr. Finucane asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development if, further to Parliamentary Question No. 124 of 29 March 2000 where it was stated that the processing of the application would be completed within four weeks, this objective was achieved and a form returned. [14668/00]
Processing of the application was completed on 4 May but a further issue was then identified during an administrative check. The person named applied for the early retirement scheme on 31 August 1999 under a joint management arrangement with her husband. It is a condition of the scheme that participants 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. This condition also applies to participants' partners in a joint management application. If a pension is awarded it must be offset against the farm retirement pension. Participants in the scheme are told of this condition when they join and they are required to notify my Department if they or their partners in joint management are awarded an old-age pension.
The applicant's husband reached the age of 66 on 9 February 1989 and was entitled to apply for an old age pension but my Department was not told whether he had done so or been awarded one. If he has been awarded the old age pension, it will have to be offset against payments under the early retirement scheme. Before these payments can commence, my Department is obliged to confirm the position with regard to his old age pension, and the applicant has now been written to asking for the necessary information.
