Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 7 April 2004
82 Mr. N. O’Keeffe asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a deduction in respect of a spouse’s old age pension is being made from a farm retirement pension in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork whose spouse died in November 2003; and if the deductions will be refunded to this widow. [10957/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has no record of being notified of the death of the husband of the person named. My officials will now contact her and make arrangements to refund the appropriate amounts.
83 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food, further to Question No. 258 of 10 June 2003, if his attention has been drawn to the circumstances outlined in the enclosed submission; the plans he has to address the issues (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10959/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person named wrote to me in May 2003 outlining her concerns about the effects of the mid-term review proposals on some participants in the schemes of early retirement from farming. She had entered the current early retirement scheme in October 2002.
Under the detailed implementing rules for the new single payment system that have now been agreed, the person named, who was engaged in farming during the reference period, will be in a position to have entitlements established for her in 2005 under the new single payment system. These entitlements can then be leased with the land provided that a lease agreement is in place at that time whereby the entitlements can then be leased to the lessee.
84 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason the person (details supplied) in County Laois who entered the 1999 early retirement scheme is being refused the scheme on the basis of letting her land for a nine month period for two years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10960/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person named lodged an application under the 1994 scheme of early retirement from farming with my Department on 10 December 1999. Following consideration, her application was rejected and she was informed of the reasons. My Department was not aware at that time that the person named had let her land for a nine month period in two of the years before her application, and this was not among the reasons for rejection of her application.
The person named subsequently sought to apply for the current early retirement 2000 scheme which was introduced in November 2000. It is a condition of the scheme that applicants must lease or transfer their land to eligible transferees after 1 January 2000 and have engaged in farming for the ten years prior to the date of the transfer or lease. Using a provision that forms part of the current scheme, she sought exemption from this condition on the grounds of ill health. That exemption was refused. My Department was already aware that she had transferred her land before January 2000, but the critical factor in my Department's view was the length of time she was out of farming. She had last farmed in 1996 and had then rented out her land. In view of the fact that she had not actively farmed since 1996, my Department concluded that it was at that point that she had ceased farming and transferred her holding. To grant an exemption from the rules in these circumstances would, in the considered opinion of my Department, have stretched the provisions of the scheme beyond reasonable limits.
