Mr. Aidan O'Driscoll:

It is possible that we would have to drill into our own systems to provide it. The national farm survey would have survey evidence on this. We could provide that to the committee. Certainly, I will provide the information to the committee.

This is a persistent problem in Ireland and throughout the EU. Several countries have good age structures relating to the farming population. However, by and large, they have got there through radical means. For example, a farmer may not be eligible for the old age pension unless he retires. That is the situation in Germany, for example, so Germany does not have this problem. We have put in place several systems to encourage leasing.