Dan Neville
Ceist:211 Mr. Neville asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the reason payment under the farm retirement scheme was discontinued for a person (details supplied) in County Limerick. [16585/01]
Written Answers. - Farm Retirement Scheme.
Under EU regulations governing the early retirement scheme, a participant's early retirement pension must be reduced by the amount of any national pension he or she may be entitled to. On 6 December 2000 my Department wrote to the person named, advising him that as he would reach age 66 years on 13 March 2001 he should apply to the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs for the contributory and non-contributory old age pension and notify this Department of that Department's decision. As no response was received my Department suspended payment of his pension pending confirmation of his entitlement to the old age pension. This procedure is necessary to prevent overpayments under the early retirement scheme which my Department would then have to recover.
When the person named provides the information he has been asked for the position will be reviewed.