Michael Noonan (Limerick East, Fine Gael)
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Question 24: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the action she intends to take to address the situation whereby ERS farmers are finding it difficult to lease land; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1777/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The requirement in the scheme of early retirement from farming that the participant must either transfer or lease their land to a young farmer who meets certain eligibility conditions is an EU regulatory provision and my Department has no discretion in the matter.

Where the lease of the land expires before the period of the pension it is necessary for the participant either to renew the lease with the young farmer or to find a replacement who meets the scheme conditions in order for payment of pension to continue. My Department already allows participants four months from the expiry date of leases to either renew the lease or find a replacement lessee. If a participant in the scheme can show that they were unable to renew the lease within those four months, my Department would consider sympathetically any request for an extension of this period.