Shane McEntee (Meath, Fine Gael)
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Question 103: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the plans she has to implement the recommendations of the Joint Committee on Agriculture and Food report on the early retirement scheme, ERS; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17303/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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I received the report of the Oireachtas joint committee formally on 7 April. I have asked my officials to consider the recommendations contained in the report, having due regard to the terms and conditions both of the early retirement scheme itself and of the European Commission regulations under which both the current and previous schemes were introduced.

Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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Question 104: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason farmers are not entitled to draw the contributory pension in conjunction with the farm retirement pension; the reason a farmer must inform the Department of Agriculture and Food of their social welfare entitlements; her plans to automate this system; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16886/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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It is a requirement of the EU regulations under which both the current and previous early retirement schemes are implemented that the early retirement pension can only be paid as a supplement to any national retirement pension that the participant and their spouse or partner in a joint management arrangement receive. This means that the value of any such national retirement pension, which includes contributory pensions, must be deducted from the early retirement pension.

On entering the schemes, participants signed an undertaking to comply with the requirements, among which it is stated that the pension can only be paid as a supplement to a national retirement pension. The onus remains primarily on the scheme participant to inform my Department of his or her entitlement to a national retirement pension. As a further safeguard against unintentional overpayments, however, my Department and the Department of Social and Family Affairs co-operate in the routine exchange of information and are currently in discussion about ways in which this can be improved further.