Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Question 895: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food if she intends to end the farm retirement scheme; if so, the reason for this decision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25603/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The EU Council regulation covering the current early retirement scheme will expire in December 2006. Take-up has fallen short of expectations and an expenditure review of the scheme carried out in my Department in 2004 raised a number of questions about it. The Council regulation on rural development for the period from 2007 to 2013 again includes provision for member states to operate early retirement measures. No decisions have been taken regarding the schemes to be operated in Ireland under this regulation.