asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he will give information on the location of areas by reference to district electoral divisions and counties, listed in EEC Commission document (74) 2222 final dated 18th December 1974, the proposed directive on lessfavoured farming areas in Ireland, as follows: (a) areas in acres of each entire county listed for aid purposes; (b) district electoral divisions, and area in acres, in other counties listed for aid purposes; (c) area in acres of the remainder of the State; (d) the areas in (a) and (b) expressed as a percentage of (c); (e) the number of farm employees in (a), (b) and (c); and (f) the number of farm family members in (a) (b) and (c).
Written Answers. - Less-Favoured Areas.
121.
Following is the information:
(a) Complete Counties Listed in EEC Document 74/2222 (final) of 18th December, 1974.
|
County |
Total Land Area |
|
Acres |
|
|
Clare |
787,704 |
|
Kerry |
1,161,706 |
|
Galway |
1,467,670 |
|
Leitrim |
376,764 |
|
Mayo |
1,333,940 |
|
Roscommon |
608,540 |
|
Sligo |
443,806 |
|
Cavan |
467,162 |
|
Donegal |
1,193,621 |
|
Monaghan |
318,985 |
|
Longford |
257,936 |
|
TOTAL |
8,417,834 |
(b) Outside of the Counties referred to at (a) the areas listed in the EEC Document include, as well as entire Rural Districts, both full District Electoral Divisions (D.E.Ds.) and parts of D.E.Ds. The latter comprise mountain and hill areas associated with mountain sheep production. The total area of land in all of the Rural Districts and D.E.Ds. listed is approximately 1,568,000 acres. Since, however, only parts of a number of D.E.Ds. will qualify for aid it is not possible to give the precise area involved.
(c) Excluding the total area at (a) and the acreage mentioned at (b) the residual area of the State is approximately 7,038,000 acres.
(d) Area in (a) as a percentage of area in (c) = 119.6%
Area in (b) as a percentage of area in (c) = 22.3%.
(e) The number of farm employees in (a) is 11,275.
Since Census of Population data is not available for parts of District Electoral Divisions it is not possible to provide figures for farm employees in either (b) or (c).
(f) The number of farm family members in (a) is 130,394.
For the reason indicated under (e) corresponding figures are not available for the number of farm family members in either (b) or (c).
Note: Source of above data is 1971 Census of Population.