John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)

A report that was launched recently, Rural Ireland 2025: Foresight Perspectives, was compiled by a working group from NUI Maynooth, UCD and Teagasc. The report outlines the group's perspective on rural Ireland in 2025 and gives its view on "alterative outcomes for the Irish rural economy in the next 20 years". According to the report, it is unlikely that Ireland will have appreciably more than 10,000 full-time commercial farmers and 30,000 part-time farmers in 2025. The report does not contain a detailed analysis that gives the rationale for such figures.

A more detailed analysis of farm numbers was published in Report of the Agri Vision 2015 Committee, an independent report that was compiled by a committee chaired by Mr. Alan Dukes. Appendix 4 of the report consists of a 15-page in-depth analysis of projected farm numbers. The appendix suggests that there will be 105,000 farms in Ireland in 2015, which will be a reduction from 136,000 farms in 2002, and that 40,000 of the farms will be classified as viable, which will be an increase from 38,700 farms in that category in 2002.

One section of Rural Ireland 2025: Foresight Perspectives appears to accept the analysis contained in Report of the Agri Vision 2015 Committee. The latter report gives a detailed breakdown of the numbers and explains why the agri vision committee predicts there will be a reduction in the number of farms to 105,000 in 2015. It cites the increase in the popularity of part-time farming, the stabilising effects of the single farm payment and the availability of off-farm employment as factors which will underpin the continuing importance of farming, particularly part-time farming.

I would like to speak about the reduction in farm numbers. Ireland is not alone, as there is a global trend, in this regard. Overall farm numbers are decreasing in all developed countries, including Ireland. The rate of decrease in this country is far lower than in several of our European neighbours. The Government is focused on ensuring that the best possible options are available to farming families to allow them to stay on the land. People may be able to continue in the agriculture industry as full-time farmers, if their farm sizes and resources are sufficient and if they choose that option, or they may do so by means of a combination of on-farm and off-farm income, which many smaller farmers consider to be the best way to maintain a viable life on the land.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House

The Government is committed to supporting and encouraging farm families in whatever option they choose. The Department of Agriculture and Food will consult shortly with stakeholders on a new rural development strategy, to run from 2007 to 2013. The strategy and its complementary support measures will be based on the EU framework that was agreed in September, which places an emphasis on competitiveness, environment, quality of life and diversification of the rural economy. I am confident that the new strategy will contribute significantly to the economic and social well-being of rural areas.

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