Vol. 528 No. 1
124 Mr. Bradford asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development if recipients of a farm retirement pension are eligible to apply for a Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs contributory old age or widow's pension without affecting the rate of their EU retirement pension. [29198/00]
The early retirement pension is paid as a supplement to any national retirement pension to which the participant in the scheme is, or becomes, entitled. Consequently, the amount of any national retirement pension, that is, invalidity pension, retirement pension, old age contributory and non-contributory pensions and survivors' contributory and non-contributory pensions must be deducted from the early retirement pension. This is a requirement of the EU Council regulations under which the 1994 scheme and the scheme which commenced on 27 November 2000 were introduced.
