Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 203: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the plans he has to reconsider the compulsory reduction in the farm retirement pension when the beneficiary reaches age 66 and is entitled to a State retirement pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24954/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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It is a requirement of the EU Council Regulations under which the 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 value of any such national retirement pension must be deducted from the Early Retirement pension.

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 204: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if his Department will review the regulations whereby persons who have availed of the farm retirement scheme are not entitled to the full rate of forestry grant and premium at the end of the ten year period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24956/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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One of the requirements for entrants to the Early Retirement Scheme is that they undertake to cease all commercial farming activity definitively. As Scheme participants can no longer be regarded as active farmers for the purposes of forestry grants, any lands planted by them after the date they join the Early Retirement Scheme can only attract grants or premiums at the non-farmer rate. However, any lands planted prior to a participant's date of entry to the Early Retirement Scheme continue to be eligible for grants at the farmer rate.

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 205: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the proposals he has, in view of the fact that the farm retirement scheme pension can be increased from State funds and the incentive that this scheme could act as in the context of land mobility, to increase the rate of payment from Exchequer funds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24957/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The maximum level of pension payable under the current Early Retirement Scheme, which is €15,000 per annum, was agreed with the farming organizations in the context of the negotiations on the partnership agreement Towards 2016.