STATUTORY INSTRUMENTS.

S.I. No. 330 of 2000.

EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES (RETIREMENT OF FARMERS) (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS, 2000.

S.I. No. 330 of 2000.

EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES (RETIREMENT OF FARMERS) (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS, 2000.

I, JOE WALSH, Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 3 of the European Communities Act, 1972 ( No. 27 of 1972 ), for the purpose of giving further effect to Council Directive No. 72/160/EEC of 17 April 1972,^* hereby make the following Regulations:

1. (1) These Regulations may be cited as the European Communities (Retirement of Farmers) (Amendment) Regulations, 2000.

(2) These Regulations shall be deemed to have come into operation on 1 May, 2000.

2. Regulation 3 of the European Communities (Retirement of Farmers) Regulations ( S.I. No. 116 of 1974 ), is amended by the substitution of “the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development” for “the Irish Land Commission” in both places where it occurs.

3. The Farmers' Retirement Scheme, 1974, which is set out in the Schedule to the European Communities (Retirement of Farmers) Regulations, 1974 is amended--

(a) subject to paragraph (b)of this Regulation, by the substitution of “the Minister” for “the Land Commission” in each place where it occurs,

(b) by the substitution in Article 1 of the following for the definition of “the Land Commission” in paragraph (g)

“(g) “the Minister” means the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development;”,

(c) by the insertion in Article 1 of the following after paragraph (g):

“(h)“Consumer Price Index” means the All Items Consumer Price Index Number compiled by the Central Statistics Office.”,

(d) by the substitution of the following for paragraph (1) of Article 7:

“ (1) The amount of the annuity under the Scheme is--

(a) in respect of the 12 month period commencing 1 May 2000, £3,960 for a married person whose spouse is alive or £2,641 for a single person, widow or widower;

(b) in respect of each 12 month period commencing on 1 May in each succeeding year, the amount obtained by increasing the amount of the annuities payable during the preceding year to take account of any increase in the Consumer Price Index.”,

and

(e) by the substitution of the following for Article 8:

“Article 8,

In the event of the death of a married applicant under the Scheme the surviving spouse shall be paid by the Minister an annuity of--

(a) in respect of the 12 month period commencing 1 May 2000, £2,641

(b) in respect of each 12 month period commencing on 1 May in each succeeding year, the amount obtained by increasing the amount of the annuities payable during the preceding year to take account of any increase in the Consumer Price index.”.

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

(This note is not part of the Instrument and does not purport to be a legal interpretation.)

Article 13 of the Farmers' Retirement Scheme provides that the annuity payable under the Scheme may be increased from time to time to take account of any increase in the Consumer Price Index. These Regulations provide for an increase in the amount of the annuity to £3,960 (married rate) and to £2,641 (single rate) for the 12 month period commencing 1 May 2000 and for future annual increases with effect from 1 May each year to take account of increases in the Consumer Price Index.

^* O.J. No. L96, 23.4.72, p.9.