Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Question 82: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food her views on the results of a recent rural dwellers survey; the action her Department is taking to address the reported lack of entrepreneurship and diversification, as reported in the survey; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5926/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The National University of Ireland's report Rural Living: An Analysis of 1,249 Households in the Republic of Ireland is welcome, and provides an interesting perspective on the issue of rural diversification. Although the report itself speaks of a relative degree of reluctance by farm respondents to consider new activities or diversification, it should be noted that there is already a large degree of diversification within the farming sector. The significant numbers of farmers engaged in off-farm employment shows a clear interest by those farmers in maximising their income stream through their choice of other employment options. For many farmers and their spouses, off-farm employment is their favoured option.

The role of Government is to ensure that farmers and farm families have choices and to support them in whatever choices they make about their own futures. This Government has been very successful is providing an economic environment which enables farmers to avail of both on- and off-farm opportunities to secure their future. The advent of the single farm payment has, of course, increased the flexibility open to them and therefore will allow new options to be explored by farmers.