asked the Taoiseach (a) the estimated number of people on the land at present, (b) the number who left the land last year and (c) what plans the Government have to provide employment for people leaving the land each year.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Employment on Land.
1.
The number of people engaged in agriculture, forestry and fishing as at the latest available date—in April 1968—was 313,000. This represents a decrease of 9,000 as compared with the corresponding date in 1967. The latter figure cannot, of course, be equated with the number leaving agriculture etc., to take up employment elsewhere since the rate of decline is also affected by deaths and retirements and the number of new entrants.
In regard to the final part of the Deputy's question, it is expected that the rise in non-agricultural activity during the period concerned will more than outweigh the drop in agriculture, forestry and fishing. The Government's plans to maintain and improve this favourable trend in non-agricultural employment will be contained in the Third Programme for Economic and Social Development, which it is intended to publish shortly.
Is the Taoiseach aware that over 130,000 people left the land in the last ten years? Surely he will have to admit that his plans for the last ten years have failed? Does he envisage that he will have anything new in the Third Programme for Economic and Social Development so that the people may be retained on the land?
We have to face the fact that people are leaving agricultural employment not only in this country but in every other country. In this country they are leaving it at a significantly lower rate than in many other countries. The figure is something less than three per cent while in Denmark, for instance, it is about nine per cent. However, the fact that they have to leave the land does not mean that they are leaving rural areas because alternative employment is being provided for people who leave the land in rural areas. Furthermore, there has been an increase in the numbers engaged in non-agricultural employment in excess of the decrease of those engaged on the land.
We started earlier than the others.
On what does the Taoiseach base his information? Over 350,000 people have left the country in the last ten years and there are 70,000 fewer at work today compared with ten years ago. On what does the Taoiseach base his information, then, that the people leaving the land are getting alternative employment? Does he mean alternative employment in Birmingham, Coventry or London, or somewhere abroad, because they are not getting it here?
The figures which will be published shortly will indicate that there is an increasing number engaged in non-agricultural employment and that increase, in fact, is in excess of those leaving the land. The Deputy will see the figures very shortly.
Suppose we take a conservative figure of 100,000 having left the land over the last ten years, does the Taoiseach say that we provided 100,000 new jobs for them?
I am not suggesting that. I said that last year—and in the years henceforth—those in gainful employment will exceed those leaving the land.
(Interruptions.)
Question No. 2. We cannot debate one question all evening. We have 100 questions.
Does the Taoiseach deny that 350,000 people left the land and that there are fewer at work today compared with ten years ago?
One quarter of that number left in the year that the Coalition lost office.
That is bunk.
I am not going to go back over the past year, but does the Taoiseach assert that the 9,000 people who left agriculture and fisheries, mainly from the western counties, were provided with alternative employment in those areas?
That is what he says.
Do I understand that that is the Taoiseach's assertion?
I said that all those leaving agricultural employment were not leaving rural areas because alternative employment was being provided for some of them, and that is a fact.
Can the Taoiseach be more specific and indicate what alternative employment is available because I have a reasonable knowledge of my own county and of other counties on the western coast and little or no alternative employment has been provided there in recent years, except possibly employment with a content of not more than 500.
They are finding it in fisheries, small industries and tourism.