Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 120: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the efforts that are being made to secure the future position of payments or pensions to spouses of farmers who died while in receipt of early retirement scheme payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21997/10]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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Since the first Scheme of Early Retirement from Farming was introduced in 1994, it has been the Department's practice to continue to pay the pension to dependants of participants who died before the period of their pension had elapsed. However, following recent audits of the Scheme by both the European Court of Auditors and the European Commission, the Commission has informed my Department that this practice is not compatible with the current EU governing Regulations and must be discontinued. I am considering the implications of the European Commission's decision and my officials will be engaging in discussions with the Commission services to confirm the position of those already in payment. In the meantime, my Department has suspended the processing of new cases.