Tony Killeen, Fianna Fail TD and Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, has reminded farmers that applications for the additional funding recently announced under the Early Retirement Scheme must be submitted by the end of the month.The provision of extra funding was announced by the Department of Agriculture last month and will allow a number of new applications to be accepted. According to Minister of State Killeen: “The additional funding has been provided with a view to accepting as many as possible of those applications completed or close to completion at the time entry to the scheme was suspended on 14th October 2008. In order to give those who might be eligible for admission to the scheme an opportunity to apply, farmers may submit their applications, accompanied by a lease/deed of transfer stamped by the Revenue Commissioners, to the Early Retirement Section in Johnstown Castle on or before 30th October 2009.”
The Junior Agriculture Minister added: “In processing new applications, the Department will give priority to those applications which have leases/deeds of transfer stamped by the Revenue Commissioners prior to 14th October 2008 and, thereafter, priority will be determined by reference to the date on which the lease/deed of transfer was stamped.”
"Any decision about further reopening the scheme will be taken only in the context of the annual Budget/Estimates process”, Minister of State Killeen concluded.
