Ned O'Keeffe
Ceist:209 Mr. N. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the position regarding an application by a person (details supplied) in County Cork under the early farm retirement pension scheme. [11607/01]
Written Answers - Farm Retirement Scheme.
The person named applied for the previous scheme of early retirement from farming. Her application was received in the local FDS office on 5 January 2000. As the final date for applications under that scheme was 31 December 1999, her application had to be rejected. It was returned, together with supporting documentation, to her on 14 February 2000.
The applicant wrote to the local FDS office again in January 2001 making representations for the application to be accepted. However, it remains ineligible for the reason outlined. My Department has written to her stating this and has drawn her attention to the new early retirement scheme which opened to applications in November 2000. It is not possible to say, on the basis of the information available, whether she could apply successfully for the new scheme but if she does make an application it will be examined promptly.