Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 149: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food when the early farm retirement application will be processed in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12633/04]

Joe Walsh (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)
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The EU regulation governing the early retirement scheme requires that a pension be paid as a supplement to any national retirement pension received by the participant, his or her spouse or a partner in a joint management arrangement. My Department has an obligation, therefore, to establish whether a person, on reaching the national retirement age, is entitled to a national retirement pension.

The person in question reached the age of 66 on 17 August 2003. In keeping with its normal procedures in such cases, the Department of Agriculture and Food wrote to him three months previously and told him that he must apply for the old age contributory and non-contributory pensions and that he must provide documentary evidence of the outcome of his applications. He had not provided the information by the time he reached the age of 66, however. Therefore, the Department was obliged to suspend the payment of his early retirement pension. When the person named provides the information requested, the position will be reviewed and if he is entitled to any arrears they will be paid promptly.