Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 13 Mar 1969

Vol. 239 No. 3

Written Answers. - Agricultural Statistics.

34.

Mr. James Tully

asked the Taoiseach the number of permanent and temporary farm employees and farm tractors in each county, etc., in June 1968 in the form of a reply of 1st February 1968.

35.

Mr. James Tully

asked the Taoiseach the number of permanent farm employees and farm tractors on farms according to rural district in the latest year for which figures are available in the form of a reply of 24th May 1966.

The Taoiseach

With the permission of an Ceann Comhairle, I shall answer Questions Nos. 34 and 35 together.

The particulars of the numbers of farm employees and farm tractors on farms for each rural district are not available for 1967 or 1968 as the June agricultural enumerations for these years were carried out on a sample basis covering approximately 60 per cent of district electoral divisions. Estimates have however been prepared for each county and the 1968 figures are given in the following statement.

County and Province	Male employees, 14 years of age and over, engaged in farm work	Tractors
Permanent	Temporary
	Numbers
Carlow	800	500	1,700
Dublin	2,200	1,000	1,900
Kildare	2,100	700	2,700
Kilkenny	1,400	800	3,400
Laoighis	800	600	2,700
Longford	300	200	1,000
Louth	900	600	1,800
Meath	2,300	1,400	3,300
Offaly	700	700	2,300
Westmeath	900	500	1,300
Wexford	2,400	1,000	5,100
Wicklow	1,200	600	2,000
LEINSTER	16,100	8,600	29,000
Clare	500	800	1,900
Cork	4,100	2,600	10,500
Kerry	800	1,100	2,800
Limerick	1,600	1,300	3,200
Tipperary	2,500	1,500	4,600
Waterford	1,100	700	1,700
MUNSTER	10,600	8,000	24,600
Galway	800	1,400	3,000
Leitrim	200	300	1,200
Mayo	400	1,000	1,600
Roscommon	300	600	1,800
Sligo	400	400	1,000
CONNACHT	2,100	3,700	8,500
Cavan	300	600	2,700
Donegal	900	1,200	4,100
Monaghan	400	500	3,100
ULSTER (pt. of)	1,600	2,300	9,800
IRELAND	30,400	22,500	72,000

36.

Mr. James Tully

asked the Taoiseach the change or estimated change in farm employment and in the number of farm tractors between 1967 and 1968 in the form of a reply of 11th November, 1965.

The Taoiseach

The particulars requested by the Deputy are as follows:

ESTIMATED change* between June, 1967 and June, 1968 in the numbers of males engaged in farm work and in the number of tractors on agricultural holdings.

(+ =increase; - =decrease)

County and Province	Members of family	Other Males	Tractors
Permanent	Temporary
	Change 1967-1968 (Number to nearest hundred)
Carlow	–100	–100	–100	+ 0
Dublin	–100	–100	–0	+ 0
Kildare	–0	–100	–100	+ 100
Kilkenny	–400	–100	–100	+ 200
Laoighis	–100	–100	–200	+ 200
Longford	–200	+ 0	–0	+ 200
Louth	–0	+ 0	+ 0	+ 100
Meath	–100	+ 0	+ 0	+ 200
Offaly	–100	+ 0	–0	+ 200
Westmeath	+ 100	–100	–100	+ 100
Wexford	–200	–100	–200	+ 200
Wicklow	–100	–100	+ 0	+ 100
LEINSTER	– 1,200	–600	–700	+ 1,600
Clare	–200	–0	+ 100	+ 200
Cork	–800	–200	+ 0	+ 700
Kerry	–400	–200	–0	+ 300
Limerick	–100	–200	+ 100	+ 500
Tipperary	–300	–100	–100	+ 500
Waterford	+ 100	–100	–100	–0
MUNSTER	– 1,800	–900	–100	+ 2,200
Galway	–300	–100	–0	+ 500
Leitrim	–200	–0	+ 0	+ 200
Mayo	–900	–100	–0	+ 200
Roscommon	–200	–0	–0	+ 300
Sligo	–200	+ 0	+ 0	+ 100
CONNACHT	– 1,800	–200	–100	+ 1,300
Cavan	–100	–100	+ 0	+ 300
Donegal	–500	–100	–100	+ 300
Monaghan	–300	–0	–100	+ 100
ULSTER (part of)	–900	–200	–200	+ 600
IRELAND	– 5,600	– 1,800	– 1,000	+ 5,600

* The estimated changes are the differences between the figures obtained from sample enumerations carried out in 1967 and 1968 which are subject to sampling errors. In the case of males engaged in farm work, the differences may not reflect the true changes because experience has shown that the treatment of migratory workers and of members of family on small holdings may vary between enumerators in different years and different areas.

37.

Mr. James Tully

asked the Taoiseach if he will give details of farm expenses, profits and employment for 1967 and 1968 in the form of a reply of 8th February, 1968.

The Taoiseach

The details requested by the Deputy are shown in the following tables in so far as they are available. Data for 1968 are not yet available in respect of agricultural output, expenses and income.

A. Net Output and Expences in Agriculture, 1967

Item	1967
£million
Net Output of agriculture (including value of changes in livestock numbers)	208.3
Expenses of agriculture:
Land annuities	2.2
Rates	7.7
Wages and salaries	18.0
Repairs to machinery, spare parts, etc.	3.4
Petrol, fuel, oil, etc.	7.0
Depreciation of machinery and implements	11.6
Transport and marketing	4.5
Other	10.0
less Total Expenses	64.4
plus Subsidies not related to sales (calved heifer subsidy, farrowed sow and mountain sheep subsidies)	1.9
Income from self employment and other trading income	145.8

B. Males engaged in Farm Work in June, 1967 and 1968.

Item	1967	1968
Number of male family workers on farms	254,100	248,500
Number of male employees on farms	55,800	52,900
Total number of males at work on farms	309,900	301,400

38.

Mr. James Tully

asked the Taoiseach the estimated number of farm holdings with and without permanent employees in each county and province in the latest year for which figures are available in the form of a reply of 7th November, 1963.

The Taoiseach

Information on the numbers of farm holdings with and without permanent employees in respect of each county and province is not available for 1967 and 1968. The latest data available relate to 1965. For that year estimates have been prepared, on the basis of a sample analysis of the data collected in the full Agricultural Enumeration of June, 1965.

The estimated numbers of agricultural holdings (one acre and over) with and without permanent male employees aged 18 years and over are given in the following table:

Estimated numbers of agricultural holdings (1 acre and over), with and without permanent male employees aged 18 years and over, in each county and province in June, 1965.

County and Province	Number of Holdings
With	Without
Carlow	500	2,600
Dublin*	900	2,600
Kildare	1,000	4,600
Kilkenny	1,250	5,600
Laoighis	750	5,250
Longford	200	5,350
Louth	550	3,900
Meath	1,400	7,700
Offaly	600	5,750
Westmeath	600	6,300
Wexford	1,500	7,050
Wicklow	700	3,850
LEINSTER	10,000	60,450
Clare	450	12,000
Cork	3,400	22,500
Kerry	800	16,750
Limerick	1,600	9,900
Tipperary	1,900	12,350
Waterford	700	4,250
MUNSTER	8,750	77,700
Galway	700	24,100
Leitrim	150	8,700
Mayo	400	26,000
Roscommon	450	13,750
Sligo	150	10,000
CONNACHT	1,750	82,550
Cavan	400	11,500
Donegal	700	19,550
Monaghan	300	8,900
ULSTER (part of)	1,400	39,950
IRELAND	21,950	260,600

* Excluding the Metropolitan District.

39.

Mr. James Tully

asked the Taoiseach if he will give the up-to-date figures for farm profits, employment and income, in continuation of the tables appended to a reply of 15th February, 1967.

The Taoiseach

1967 is the latest year for which the relevant estimates are available. The following tables show the data in the form requested by the Deputy.

Data on incomes for those engaged in agriculture are not available directly for individuals. Estimates of average incomes per head can only be derived by relating two aggregates which are not altogether comparable. The aggregate figures for income arising in agriculture are prepared on a global basis using estimates of the annual output of agricultural products and estimates of annual inputs of various materials and services. The aggregate figures for persons at work in agriculture are derived from the number so returned in the periodic Censuses of Population. The averages derived from these two aggregates can provide no more than rough indicators.

Since the figures for numbers of persons at work from 1962 to 1966 have been revised following the availability of relevant information from the 1966 Census of Population, data for these years are included in the table.

Year	Estimated total income arising in Agriculture*	Estimated number of persons, including employees at work in agriculture	Estimated average per head, per week
	£million	thousands	£	s.
1962	137.4	363	7	6
1963	135.1	355	7	6
1964	158.2	346	8	16
1965	159.3	333	9	4
1966	152.0	326	8	19
1967	163.8	315	10	0

Year	Estimated total remuneration of employees in Agriculture†	Estimated total number of employees at work	Estimated average remuneration per head per week†
	£ million	thousands	£	s.
1962	15.5	48.6	6	3
1963	15.2	46.8	6	5
1964	16.6	44.7	7	3
1965	18.1	43.8	7	19
1966	18.8	41.3	8	15
1967	18.0	38.0	9	2

Year	Estimated total income arising in agriculture* less remuneration of employees	Estimated total persons at work (other than employees)	Estimated average per head, per week
	£ million	thousands	£	s.
1962	121.9	315	7	9
1963	119.9	308	7	10
1964	141.6	302	9	0
1965	141.2	289	9	8
1966	133.2	285	9	0
1967	145.8	277	10	2

* Excluding rent element in land annuities.

† Includes employer's contribution to social insurance.

40.

Mr. James Tully

asked the Taoiseach the number of farm tractors imported in each month in 1968 and the total number imported in that year in the form of a reply of 7th February, 1968.

The Taoiseach

Following is the information requested:—

Imports of Agricultural tractors in each month of 1968 and in the year 1968.

	New	Second-hand	Total
	Number
January	250	113	363
February	434	218	652
March	537	460	997
April	442	644	1,086
May	601	714	1,315
June	348	444	792
July	309	511	820
August	298	351	649
September	450	297	747
October	431	383	814
November	262	520	782
December	250	484	734
Year	4,612	5,139	9,751