asked the Minister for Agriculture the number of farms acquired under the farm retirement scheme in 1975, 1976 and 1977; and the number of these in County Cork.

The number of farms released by retiring farmers under the farmers' retirement scheme in the years mentioned is as follows:

Would the Minister accept that the terms of the retirement scheme should be improved to encourage a greater number to join the scheme because these figures are not very satisfactory and do not solve the problems which the scheme was set up to solve?

I agree that the results are unsatisfactory and we will be seeking changes in the structural directives. In the review currently going on in the Community we will be seeking an improvement to the retirement scheme to make it more effective.