Ned O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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Question 149: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason the farm retirement pension of a person (details supplied) in County Waterford has been reduced by €185.98 per week. [11410/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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It is a requirement of EU Council Regulation 2079/92, under which the 1994 early retirement scheme was introduced, that the early retirement pension can be paid only as a supplement to any national retirement pension that the participant and his or her spouse, or partner in a joint management arrangement, receive. This means that the value of any national retirement pension payable must be deducted from the early retirement pension.

The person is in receipt of a contributory old age pension. As required under the scheme, the amount of his old age pension, including the budget increase from 6 January 2006, had to be deducted from his early retirement pension.