Edward Nealon
Question:88 Mr. Nealon asked the Taoiseach if he will outline the number of farmers (a) in County Sligo and (b) County Leitrim for the latest year for which figures are available and the comparable figures for five years earlier.
Written Answers. - Farming Statistics.
Edward Nealon
Question:93 Mr. Nealon asked the Taoiseach if he will outline the number of farmers in County Sligo in the years 1981 and 1991.
Edward Nealon
Question:94 Mr. Nealon asked the Taoiseach if he will outline the number of farmers in County Leitrim in the years 1981 and 1991.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 88, 93 and 94 together.
The most recent information available at county level is that obtained from the 1986 Census of Population and relates to the number of self-employed persons at work who indicated that their principal occupation was "farming". According to this source there were 3,556 farmers in County Sligo and 2,481 farmers in County Leitrim in 1986. The comparable figures from the 1981 Census of Population were: 4,393 farmers in County Sligo and 3,288 farmers in County Leitrim. Corresponding information from the 1991 Census of Population will not be available until early 1993. The results from the 1991 Census of Agriculture covering all persons involved in farming, whether on a full or part-time basis, will become available shortly.