asked the Minister for Lands if he intends to increase the annuity and incentives offered in the EEC farm retirement scheme because of the changes that have taken place in the value of money.

3.

asked the Minister for Lands if his attention has been drawn to a press statement that the EEC farm retirement scheme is grinding to a halt; and, if so, the proposals before his Department to prevent such an occurrence.

With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 2 and 3 together.

In reply to a question last week I stated that I was satisfied with the results of the farmers retirement scheme, which came into operation two years ago. I would refer the Deputy to this reply where I gave details of progress to date.

The inflow of applications continues to be satisfactory. The level is not as high of course as in the initial stages but, as with any new scheme, many of those who applied for consideration at that time did not have a genuine intention of participating. Those making application now however are fully aware of the conditions that have to be fulfilled and accordingly they are more likely to be genuinely interested in availing of the benefits.

The question of adjusting the annuity to take account of increases in the consumer price index is at present under close examination.

Does the Parliamentary Secretary accept that, having regard to the fact that since November last there have been only 120 applications, we may take it that the number is lagging, and that unless the terms are made more attractive this scheme will disappear within the next 12 months or so?

The Minister's judgment is that the flow of applications is satisfactory. He would not accept that the scheme is grinding to a halt, as the Deputy appears to think.

Does the Parliamentary Secretary accept that since the inception of the scheme there has been a total of 1,200 applications and that in the last six months only 100 applications have been received? One could deduce from that simple fact that the scheme is not as attractive as it was.

The number of applications received since 1st January this year is 81, an average of 16 per month. The number of applications which have been processed up to the end of last May was nearly 1,300.

So the scheme is dying?

No. The Deputy knows very well that any new scheme always attracts large numbers of applicants initially, partly representing a backlog of people who would have availed of such a scheme had it been there and partly consisting of people, as the Minister says, who did not properly appreciate the implications of the scheme. That hump is now subsiding.

Question No. 4.

Is the Parliamentary Secretary stating——

I have called the next question.