Vol. 563 No. 4
200 Mr. Deenihan asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if a spouse, that is a wife, is an eligible applicant as a farm helper or farm worker under the early retirement ERS2-2000 scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8036/03]
The current early retirement scheme pro vides for payment of a pension to a farm worker employed by a farmer retiring under the scheme. One of the conditions of eligibility is that on the date an application is received in the Department, the person concerned must have worked on the retiring farmers agricultural holding for at least the equivalent of two years full time during the four years preceding the retirement and have paid PRSI contributions in respect of the period of that employment. The wife of a farmer retiring under the scheme would not be entitled to a retired workers pension because her employment by her husband is not covered by the social insurance system.
