asked the Taoiseach if he will state (a) the acreage of wheat grown by the 12 largest growers of wheat in Leinster last season; (b) the total number of bushels produced, and (c) the estimated total amount of subsidy paid in respect of the yield in each case.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Wheat Statistics.
As regards (a), particulars relating to individual farmers, collected at the annual statistical inquiries, cannot be divulged. Furthermore, to ascertain the aggregate acreage of wheat grown by the 12 largest growers of wheat in Leinster would require an examination of the individual returns of wheat acreage on each of the holdings in Leinster as given at the June agricultural statistics enumeration. I do not consider that the information obtained would justify such an extended investigation which would involve the inspection of over 100,000 individual entries.
As regards (b), no data are available from which statistics of aggregate production of a specified group of farmers could be obtained.
As regards (c), I assume that the Deputy has in mind the portion of the subsidy attributable to the flour and wheatenmeal manufactured from the aggregate wheat production of the farmers in question. As no information is available regarding their aggregate production and sales of wheat, this part of the question does not arise.