John Bruton
Ceist:63 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Taoiseach the percentage of Irish farmers who have (a) full time and (b) part time jobs of their farms; and the comparable figures for other EC countries.
Written Answers. - Off-Farm Employment.
The precise information requested by the Deputy is not available.
The 1987 farm structure survey estimated that, excluding commercial concerns, there are 215,600 farming landholders with at least one hectare of crops and pasture (including rough grazing) being farmed. Of these, an estimated 79,700, 37 per cent had another gainful activity. For an estimated 57,200, 26.5 per cent of the total, the other activity was the major occupation, with farming being a subsidiary occupation; while for 22,500, 10.4 per cent of the total, the other activity was a subsidiary occupation.
Corresponding information for EC countries in 1987 is given in the following table:
Percentage of farmers with other gainful activity — EC member states, 1987.
|
Country |
Where the other gainful activity is: |
Total with other gainful activity |
|
|
The major occupation |
A subsidiary occupation |
||
|
Ireland |
26.5 |
10.4 |
37.0 |
|
Federal Republic of Germany |
38.1 |
4.7 |
42.8 |
|
France |
11.9 |
19.9 |
31.8 |
|
Italy |
20.6 |
3.4 |
24.0 |
|
Netherlands |
15.4 |
8.0 |
23.4 |
|
Belgium |
29.6 |
3.0 |
32.6 |
|
Luxembourg |
13.6 |
4.2 |
17.7 |
|
United Kingdom |
14.7 |
9.4 |
24.0 |
|
Denmark (1985) |
9.7 |
24.3 |
34.0 |
|
Greece |
26.9 |
6.5 |
33.4 |
|
Spain |
22.4 |
5.8 |
28.2 |
|
Portugal |
32.1 |
6.4 |
38.5 |
|
EC 12 |
22.9 |
7.0 |
29.9 |
Source: EUROSTAT.