Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 153: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food when the new farm retirement scheme will be operational; and the date from which it will be effective. [5864/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The new Early Retirement Scheme will form part of the new Rural Development Programme for the period from 2007 to 2013. The Programme was sent to the European Commission in late December and has to go through its approval process. I cannot be definite as to how long this process will take but I continue to pursue early approval. My officials are in ongoing contact about it with their counterparts in the Commission services.