Trevor Sargent
Ceist:9 Mr. Sargent asked the Taoiseach the number of farmers here compared with five, ten and fifteen years ago. [5010/02]
Ceisteanna – Questions. - Farm Numbers.
The most recent figures available on the number of farms are in respect of June 1999. These statistics have been compiled annually since 1991 and less frequently before then. I propose to circulate in the Official Report, a table setting out the available figures on the number of farms of at least one hectare between 1985 and 1999. More recent figures will soon be available when the results of the Census of Agriculture, taken in June 2000, are published in April.
|
Year |
No. of Farms (000)¹ |
|
1985 |
219.1 |
|
1987 |
215.6 |
|
1991² |
169.9 |
|
1992 |
161.1 |
|
1993 |
158.9 |
|
1994 |
153.0 |
|
1995 |
153.0 |
|
1996 |
149.3 |
|
1997 |
147.6 |
|
1998 |
146.2 |
|
1999 |
143.7 |
¹ Farms run by commercial concerns or institutions are excluded from this table.
² The figures for 1991 and later years are not directly comparable with those for 1985 and 1987, as earlier figures included a large number of inactive land-holdings (without cash crops or livestock) and smaller or more marginal units. These were excluded when the 1991 Census of Agriculture was conducted, reducing the total by an estimated 30,000 farms.
Sources:Farm Structure Surveys, 1985 and 1987.
Census of Agriculture, 1991.
Annual June Agricultural Surveys, 1992-1999.
Is there any possibility of getting an indication of whether the trend is up or down? The Minister of State has left me wondering what are the figures, even in terms of their general gist. I can understand he would not read out a table of figures in the House.
The procedure if there is a statistical question is that there is a statistical answer.
Is there even a smidgen of information which can be given?
It is the normal procedure to circulate them in the Offical Report.
This is normally where questions are answered, a Cheann Comhairle.
I am talking about the usual procedure. What is being done today is in accordance with precedent.
There is no information in this reply.
It will be made available to the Deputy.
It is being circulated. In 1985, there were 219,000 farms. In 1999, the number had come down to 143,000. The number is reducing at an average rate of 3,000 farms per annum. Is that better?
That is an alarming figure. That indicates some of my reasons for tabling the question in that I wanted to get some idea of how bad the situation is.
When the reply is printed in the Official Report, the Member waits until he sees the report. It is not normal procedure to ask supplementary questions on questions of this kind.