Vol. 181 No. 3
asked the Taoiseach if he is aware that it is estimated in Economics Statistics, 1960, Table 7, that there were 92,700 permanent and casual male farm employees in 1958 (89,900 in 1959) while the sale of agricultural social insurance stamps for the year ended 31st March, 1959, indicates a volume of employment in agriculture equal to about 57,000 man-years which would also include an element of family labour; and if he will explain the enormous difference in the employment statistics.
3.
asked the Taoiseach if he is aware that the number of permanent male farm workers in 1959 is estimated in Economic Statistics, 1960, Table 7, at 51,300 persons (52,600 in 1958) while the number of full-time employees according to the Agricultural Grant amounts to approximately 38,000 for the year ended 31st March, 1959 (40,700 in 1958); and if he will explain the difference in the employment statistics.
4.
asked the Taoiseach if he is aware that the total number of male employees engaged in farm work in 1951 is estimated at 107,500 according to Economic Statistics, 1960, page 22, while the Census of Population, 1951 (Codes 007 and 008) indicated that there were only 84,294 agricultural labourers of whom 66,223 were living out and 18,071 were living in; if in view of the enormous difference in the farm employment statistics he will make an explanatory statement as to the basis on which the estimates on page 22 of Economic Statistics, 1960 were made, and give an indication of the type of sampling used in compiling the farm employment figures for June of each year; whether farm employment statistics are collected directly by the Central Statistics Office or for that Office by another agency; and if the employment figures are based on documents returned by agricultural employers in the manner prescribed for the purposes of the Census of Industrial Production.
5.
asked the Taoiseach if he will explain the definitions "Permanent Farm Employees" and "Temporary Farm Employees" in Economic Statistics, 1960, Table 7, indicating whether the definition of permanent means (a) permanent full-time or (b) permanent part-time or includes both permanent full-time and permanent part-time workers.
I propose with the permission of the Leas-Cheann Comhairle to take Questions Nos. 2, 3, 4 and 5 together.
Comprehensive figures for the number of persons in agriculture can be obtained only from a census of population, where particulars are required of the principal occupation of each person aged 14 years or over. The most recent census at which such information was collected was that taken in April, 1951.
An indication of the current trend in the level of employment in the agricultural sector is given by the series concerning males engaged in farm work compiled in conjunction with the annual June Agricultural Enumeration of crops and livestock. This Enumeration is carried out by the Garda Síochána acting on behalf of the Central Statistics Office. The Gardaí make the necessary inquiries in respect of each holding and enter the particulars in special enumeration books which are transmitted to the Central Statistics Office for summarisation. Returns are not made in the manner prescribed for the Census of Industrial Production. Prior to 1954, the figures were based on a complete enumeration of all agricultural holdings. In 1954 and subsequent years the enumeration was carried out on a sample basis in order to reduce the work of enumeration and for reasons of general economy. The coverage of the sample, in terms of enumeration districts each of which normally consists of a District Electoral Division, was 80 per cent. in 1954 and 1955; 25 per cent. in 1956 and 1957, and 60 per cent. in 1958 and 1959. The District Electoral Divisions enumerated were selected in such a way as to ensure a representative sample.
In the enumeration headings for males engaged in agriculture provision is made for recording separately permanent employees and temporary employees. While no specific direction is given in the instructions concerning the treatment of permanent part-time employees, it is understood that these are included under the heading "permanent employees" together with permanent full-time employees.
It is considered that there is no significant conflict between the figure of 84,294 agricultural labourers aged 14 years of age or over returned at the 1951 Census of Population and the figures of 68,900 permanent employees and 38,600 temporary employees aged 14 years of age or over compiled from June, 1951, Agricultural Enumeration. The Census of Population figure is intermediate between that for permanent employees (68,900) and the total of permanent and temporary employees (107,500). It is to be expected that while all the permanent employees would return their principal occupation as agricultural labourer, some of the temporary employees would, in the Census of Population schedule, enter some other occupation as their principal one, e.g. "road labourer", "builder's labourer", "fisherman", etc.
The difference in level between the figures for the same years for permanent male farm workers already referred to and the number of employment allowances granted under the Rates on Agricultural Land (Relief) Acts is due to the differences in the coverage of the two series. Under the Acts mentioned an employment allowance is given to a rated occupier in respect of a workman who was at work on the holding during the whole of the calendar year prior to the financial year in which the claim for the allowance was made and who was over seventeen years and under seventy at the commencement of the qualifying period. There is also provision that if two or more men are successively at work on a holding, or are employed in such a way that at all times during the calendar year there is one man at work, such workman may be regarded as one man at work for the purposes of the employment allowance. These provisions do not allow of the granting of employment allowances in respect of casual employment, nor in respect of any employee where age at the commencement of the qualifying period was outside the limits mentioned above. An employment allowance cannot be claimed in respect of an adult workman, who was, or whose wife was, at any time during the qualifying period, the rated occupier of agricultural land the valuation of which was equal to or greater than £5. No employment allowance is granted unless the total valuation of the agricultural land in the holding exceeds £20.
The number of social insurance stamps of the appropriate class sold provide a measure of the total amount of work in man-weeks performed by male employees in agriculture. In the year ended 31 March, 1959, a total of 2,982,808 stamps of the 3s. 2d. class were sold. These relate to employment in agriculture of males aged between 16 and 70 years. It is not possible to determine from the records the total number of individuals in respect of whom these stamps were sold. Many of these employees would have worked substantially less than 52 weeks in the year. Even in the case of permanent employees because of incidental sickness etc. the number of stamps would be less than 52. Consequently the number of males aged between 16 and 70 years employed for some period of the year in agriculture would be substantially in excess of the number derived by dividing the total number of stamps sold by 52.
