Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 2: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food her views on the recent Foresight Rural Ireland 2025 document; what she intends to do to ensure its predictions as to the number of full-time farmers there will be in 2025 do not come true; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38487/05]

John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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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.

Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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I thank the Minister of State for his reply. When one examines the total numbers of farmers outlined in Rural Ireland 2025: Foresight Perspectives and in Report of the Agri Vision 2015 Committee, one will accept that they are not a million miles apart. The latter report states there will be 12,500 viable dairy farmers and the former report states there will be 10,000 such farmers. It is not a huge gap.

Some 1,500 non-viable part-time dairy farmers and 1,500 transitional dairy farms are identified in the report of the agri-vision 2015 committee. Both those sets of figures are negative in the sense of maintaining a rural farming economy rather than just an entire rural environment, which is what we should be considering. Three key enabling measures are set out in Rural Ireland 2025: Foresight Perspectives, and I would like to know the discussions the Minister of State plans to have with the other stakeholders in rural Ireland to ensure farming remains viable.

John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The 2015 programme will be progressed in 2006. We all want a prosperous rural economy. Ireland must also adopt the Rural Development Regulation 2007-2013. This will be followed by detailed support measures. The consultative process with stakeholders will commence in coming weeks and I hope we will have that with the Commission in March or April. The programmes setting out support measures will be sent in the following three months or so. The range of support measures is very wide and covers the three broad objectives of competitiveness, environment, quality of life and diversification of the rural economy. While we regard the report of the agri-vision 2015 committee as being more detailed as it outlines how farming numbers could decrease by 2015, both reports are helpful. We will consider both reports and take on board the good points from both.

Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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One key point in Rural Ireland 2025: Foresight Perspectives relates to the development of regional innovation and research systems to support the development of a knowledge-based rural economy. Given that this is such a key factor in sustaining growth and development in rural Ireland while also maintaining what exists, what action can be taken to ensure we have a knowledge-based rural economy to include farming?

John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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This is one of the areas of the report we would be willing to take on board. The Minister has managed to secure increased funding for research in 2006.