I propose to answer Questions 47 and 54 together.
The criteria used in the last survey in 1982/83 and also in the present survey are that an area must have less than 7.8 per cent of ploughed land, must have a stocking rate of less than one adult bovine livestock unit per forage hectare, must have a family farm income per male farm worker not exceeding 80 per cent of the national average, must have a population of not more than 27 inhabitants per square kilometre and must have at least 30 per cent of total working population engaged in agriculture.
The present survey commenced at the end of January and it is hoped to have it completed and the areas deemed suitable for classification or reclassification submitted to the EC Commission by the end of this year. While every effort will be made to secure early approval, it is not possible to indicate precisely when a Commission decision will be taken and the necessary procedures completed by the EC.
It is neither normal nor desirable to name the officers assigned to this survey work but I can convey to the Deputy that they come from the livestock agricultural officers and Land Commission inspectors of my Department. The agriculture officers selected to carry out the survey have formal qualifications in Agricultural Science at Diploma or higher levels. They will survey all areas submitted to my Department for review and will complete their part of the survey before the summer. Land Commission inspectors who have degrees in Agricultural Science will complete the second part of the survey later in the year.