asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if there was any section of his Department's farm at Backweston, County Kildare sold recently; and if so, to whom.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Sale of Departmental Farm.
15.
Yes. Agreement was reached in April 1986 to sell part of the Backweston farm to Lucan Golf Club. The sale was eventually closed in April of this year.
It can be seen from the farm survey which was published last week that the average income of cereal farmers is reckoned to be £80 per acre. Therefore, if a farmer has 200 acres his earnings would be in the region of £16,000 per annum which would be on a par with the earnings of an industrial worker. Can the Minister tell us what was the advantage in selling part of this farm to a golf club? How are cereal farmers going to benefit?
There is a later question which relates to cereal farmers and the Deputy's question would be more appropriate to it. I had no knowledge that this question was going to be widened to deal with the position of cereal farmers. As I have told the Deputy, the agreement was entered into in April 1986 and I have simply honoured the terms of that agreement. I think it is fair to say that my advisers — and I am sure it was the same when the agreement was entered into — were satisfied that this was in accordance with policy and would not interfere in any way in our capacity to advise cereal growers.