Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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Question 154: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food if, in view of the fact that participants in the ERS only agreed to forfeit the value of their State pension while in receipt of their farm retirement pension, his Department should allow them to retain increases in the State pension; if such a mechanism would at least in part protect their income against inflation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35094/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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It is a requirement of the EU Council Regulations under which the 1994 and 2000 Early Retirement Schemes were introduced that the Early Retirement Pension can be paid only as a supplement to any national retirement pension to which the participant, and his or her spouse or partner in a joint management arrangement, is entitled. This means that the entire value of any such national retirement pension payable must be deducted from the Early Retirement Pension. Payment under the Scheme is suspended in the case of participants whose national retirement pension exceeds the amount of their Early Retirement Pension.

It has been determined in consultation with the European Commission that the following pensions are National Retirement Pensions: Old Age Contributory pension; Old Age Non-Contributory pension; Widow/Widower's Contributory pension (at age 66); Widow/Widower's Non-Contributory pension (at age 66); Retirement pension; Invalidity pension (at age 66); Blind Person's pension.