James Breen (Clare, Independent)

Does the Minister of State agree with the former Minister, Deputy Walsh, when he said there are serious flaws in the farm retirement scheme? Does he agree that a person who retires through ill health and who returns to farming when his circumstances change should be entitled to resume his benefits? Does the Minister of State agree that if land is leased to a family member, the family member is penalised? If it leased to an outsider, it is the outsider who gains the entitlements. When these farmers retired they had quota and headage payments. When they returned to farming, however, they found that their farms' values had fallen by 50% because they were without quota and headage. Around 6,000 have been affected under this retirement scheme.

The Minister of State has so far refused to meet the group campaigning for the rights of those farmers. Will he meet it? How many acres of land in the State are without quota? Why did the Department of Agriculture and Food break its contract with these farmers? There should be an immediate meeting with those farmers who were affected and their entitlements must be restored forthwith.

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