Vol. 561 No. 4
250 Mr. P. Breen asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason deductions were made from an agricultural allowance of a person (details supplied) in County Clare when their spouse qualified for an old age contributory pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4801/03]
The person involved is a participant in the 1994 early retirement scheme introduced under EU Council regulation 2079/92, which she entered in joint management with her husband.
It is a requirement of the Council Regulation that any national retirement pension to which a scheme participant or his or her spouse or partner in a joint management situation becomes entitled must be deducted from the early retirement pension. The husband of the person named was in receipt of a contributory old age pension before she joined the early retirement scheme and in accordance with the regulation this must be deducted from the early retirement pension.
