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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 12 Nov 1968

Vol. 237 No. 1

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Rural Population.

2.

asked the Taoiseach the total number of people who have left the land since 1956; and what plans the Government have to encourage people to stay on the land.

The number of persons mainly engaged in agriculture declined by 108,000 between 1956 and 1967. This figure cannot, of course, be equated with the number leaving agriculture to take up employment elsewhere since the rate of decline is also affected by deaths and retirements and the number of new entrants.

The Government's programme for rural development is based on more intensive farming in economic units and the development of non-farm sources of employment by tourism, industry, forestry and fishing. One of the main aims of the Government's agricultural policy is to maintain the maximum number on the land consistent with social and economic progress, and the various Government measures in support of agriculture—measures which have been expanded as circumstances demand—are proving effective in retarding the rate of movement out of agriculture, the labour requirements of which decline as its efficiency increases.

In the recent past, two important changes in the unemployment assistance scheme—of direct benefit to smallholders—offered encouragement to them to stay on the land. These were, the new system of calculating means of small farmers in the western areas and the discontinuance of the Employment Period Orders. The combined effect of these two improvements is to make available to the farming community an additional sum of up to £1½ million annually.

The provision in the current Volume of Estimates for improvement schemes in the Gaeltacht is almost four times that provided four years ago.

By the time the Rural Electrification Post-Development Scheme is completed in 1973, electricity at reasonable cost will be available to 97½ per cent of rural homes.

Commitments to date from the Special Regional Development Fund substantially exceed £½ million. Help from the Fund is being provided for small farmer and handcraft co-opera-tives, local airports, miscellaneous tourist projects, fishing harbours and firms in the West which were in danger of closing down but which had a reasonable chance of survival if given immediate aid. The Small Industries Programme should be of particular benefit to the three substantial rural areas in which it has been initiated.

What have the Government in mind to keep the maximum number of people on the land? The Government's agricultural policy is a failure. Irish farmers are becoming disillusioned as they see no future in staying on the land under the present Fianna Fáil Government. They do not want doles or sops but fair prices for their produce so that they can live in their own country. What, if anything, do the Government intend to do about all this?

The Deputy should realise that, of ten countries listed by OECD, the percentage decline in agriculture is the lowest in Ireland——

In Ireland?

It is lowest in Ireland of the ten countries listed.

The only thing we have here is agriculture.

In Ireland, the rate is the lowest of ten countries that were listed by OECD. Take, for instance, Italy. In the same period, there was a decline there of 32.5 per cent in the numbers engaged in agriculture as compared with 18.1 per cent here.

There is nothing for our agricultural population but to emigrate.

Nonsense.

Does the Parliamentary Secretary realise that over 108,000 people have been driven from the land of Ireland in the past ten years? Surely he must remember that, at one time, Fianna Fáil were to bring back all those who had emigrated. Would he now tell the House and the country what plans he has to keep the people on the land of Ireland today or what the Government intend to do about the flight from the land?

I read out the schemes which are in operation to encourage people to stay on the land. Ireland is not the only country on the face of the earth where people are leaving agriculture for other employment.

All of those schemes have been a failure up to the present. What new schemes, if any, have the Government so that our principal industry—agriculture—may survive and our people may be kept on the land of Ireland?

Would Deputy L'Estrange like to tell the House what he or his Party would do?

I would not go around with a tin can, looking for sixpences.

Deputy L'Estrange will always misrepresent the facts.

Order. Next question.

3.

asked the Taoiseach (a) the number of people on the land each year since 1945 and (b) the number of people who have left the land each year since 1945.

With your permission, Sir, I propose to circulate in the Official Report a statement showing for each year since 1946 (a) the estimated numbers of persons at work in agriculture, forestry and fishing and (b) the net change since the preceding year. An estimate of persons at work in agriculture, forestry and fishing is not available for 1945.

Following is the statement:

ESTIMATED number of persons at work in Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing

Year

Number*

Change since previous year†

'000

1946

567.3

1947

554

– 13

1948

545

– 9

1949

527

– 18

1950

514

– 13

1951

496.2

– 18

1952

482

– 14

1953

458

– 24

1954

452

– 6

1955

442

– 10

1956

430

– 12

1957

414

– 16

1958

407

– 7

1959

398

– 9

1960

390

– 8

1961

379.5

– 10

1962

371

– 9

1963

363

– 8

1964

354

– 9

1965

340

– 14

1966

333.5

– 7

1967

322

– 11

*The figures for 1946-1950 inclusive are based on the 1951 Census of Population. Those for 1951-1960 inclusive are based on the 1961 Census of Population and those for 1961-1967 inclusive are based on the 1966 Census of Population.

The effect of the changes in classification (which is very slight) is as follows:—

'000

1951 (based on 1951 classification)

496.0

1951 (based on 1961 classification)

496.2

1961 (based on 1961 classification)

378.7

1961 (based on 1966 classification)

379.5

†These figures are the net changes and reflect the combined effect of movement out of agriculture, deaths and retirements offset by new entrants.

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