Vol. 521 No. 6
54 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development if he is concerned with regard to figures in the most recent national household survey which show that the number of people working in the agricultural sector has hit an all-time low; his views on whether this continuing slide will have a detrimental effect on rural communities; the actions he proposes to deal with this decline; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17773/00]
The most recent quarterly national household survey conducted by the CSO shows employment in agriculture, forestry and fishing to be at the same level as that during the corresponding period, December-February in 1998. This period tends to show employment at its lowest level with higher employment levels coming, as might be expected, in the summer months.
This survey is based on the ILO system, which determines employment on the basis of principal economic status of the person interviewed. Thus, farmers or farm workers for whom off-farm employment provided a greater proportion of their income would have their employment recorded under the off-farm category.
The long-term trend in on-farm employment is one of gradual decline. This situation, however, is not unique to Ireland. The numbers of farmers have been in decline across the EU as a whole for many years. Significantly, there is growth in the number of farmers who have off-farm employment, which is a very important factor in the context of overall rural employment.
With regard to rural communities, the latest figures available, the 1996 census, show that the rural population has been reasonably stable at around 1.5 million since the 1980s, and accounts for 42% of total population. The White Paper on Rural Development, which was published last August, sets out a vision and a framework for the development of sustainable rural communities. The national development plan gives substance to the commitments in the White Paper.
