John Paul Phelan (Fine Gael)

I join colleagues in calling for the Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works, Deputy Parlon, to come to the House to answer questions on his brief. While he is here, he might also answer questions on the flood relief scheme in Kilkenny, to which Senator Norris referred. I raised the matter of the scheme with the Minister of State here a number of months ago and he dismissed it with his usual arrogance. It is time the Minister of State climbed down from his high horse and began to answer serious questions on overspending in the flood relief scheme in Kilkenny and other serious instances of overspending on infrastructural projects nationally.

Will the Leader arrange a debate with the Minister for Agriculture and Food on the scheme of early retirement for farmers which was introduced a number of years ago? While the scheme has been successful in its overall aim to reduce the average age among farmers, the pension payments farmers receive under it have not increased since its introduction. I acknowledge that the scheme is funded by the EU and that a case in this regard will have to be taken to Europe, but it is time we started the debate domestically. It is especially urgent at this point in time as the payments retired farmers receive for lands have reduced dramatically on foot of changes in the Common Agricultural Policy. It is unacceptable in this day and age that people are receiving the same level of payments from the farm retirement scheme that they received ten years ago. No other group in society continues to receive payments at a ten year old rate.