Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 22 Oct 2002

Vol. 555 No. 5

Written Answers. - Quarterly National Household Survey.

Michael Ring

Question:

148 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the persons who fill in the CSO Quarterly National Household Survey used as a base to estimate farm incomes and employment in agriculture; if it is filled in by ordinary households with a farming background; his views on whether the surveys should be taken by Teagasc with documented evidence of farming income; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18857/02]

Minister for Agriculture and Food (Mr. Walsh)

The CSO Quarterly National Household Survey, QNHS, is primarily a labour force survey. The QNHS classifies persons as being in employment on an ILO, International Labour Office, basis if they worked in the week before the survey, for one hour or more for payment or profit. Respondents in the survey are asked to describe the main activity of their business or organisation, which is then coded based on the EU NACE Rev 1 classification, as defined in Council Regulation (EEC) No. 3037/90. Under this definition, persons employed in agriculture include the self-employed, employee and assisting relative who described the main activity of their business as agriculture, hunting or related services.

My Department uses the number of persons employed in agriculture from the QNHS as a basis for estimating average income per person employed in agriculture. This involves dividing operating surplus plus wages, from the CSO's output, input and income in agriculture release, by the number of persons employed in agriculture, from the CSO's QNHS release, to estimate average income per person employed in agriculture. Average income in agriculture can be estimated in a number of different ways, including average income per person employed, per farm and per family work unit. In addition, Teagasc's national farm survey estimates average family farm income based on detailed records from a sample of more than 1,100 farms.