Proposals for a new Early Retirement Scheme, with a maximum pension payment rate of €15,000, have been included in the draft Rural Development Programme for the period 2007–2013. The draft Programme was sent to the Commission in late December to begin the approval process. I cannot be definite as to how long this process will take but I continue to pursue early approval and my officials are in ongoing contact with their counterparts in the Commission services.
Details of the number of successful applications under the 2000 Scheme of Early Retirement from Farming, which closed to new applications on 31 December 2006, and details of such applications from County Kildare, are set out in the table for each of the years 2002 to 2007.
Year ended
|
Successful Applications (2000-06 Scheme)
|
Successful Applications (Co. Kildare)
|
31 December 2002
|
809
|
15
|
31 December 2003
|
528
|
4
|
31 December 2004
|
307
|
4
|
31 December 2005
|
296
|
1
|
31 December 2006
|
341
|
2
|