Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 26: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the number of farmers that have qualified for the early retirement scheme under the hardship provision announced by him; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16902/10]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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My Department received 175 applications following the temporary reopening of the Early Retirement Scheme from 23 September to 30 October, 2009. Sixteen of the applications have been approved for payment. Another 133 applications are currently being examined in my Department. Twelve of the applications could not be accepted for processing as they did not satisfy all of the Scheme conditions. In addition, 39 applications were returned to the applicants as they were submitted under the provision of the Early Retirement Scheme that envisaged the transferee being set up under the Young Farmers' Installation Scheme. As that scheme is closed to new applicants, the transferees in these cases could not satisfy that requirement. The applicants were offered the option of resubmitting their applications under an alternative provision of the Scheme which involved the holding being enlarged by the proposed transferee. To date, the transferees in 25 of these cases have secured additional land and the applications have been resubmitted and are being processed. The remaining 14 applicants have until 30 April 2010 to resubmit their applications.