Paudge Connolly (Cavan-Monaghan, Independent)
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Question 554: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the situation in relation to farm incomes since 1995 on a yearly basis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10173/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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There are a number of approaches to examining farm incomes and these, along with recent trends, are explained in the Annual Review and Outlook for Agriculture and Food 2004-2005 which is available on my Department's web-site at www.agriculture.gov.ie.

The table shows the two most common approaches to examining farm income: operating surplus — which measures aggregate farm income at national level and family farm income — which provides an estimate of average income per farm. Given dependence on weather, market performance and a broad range of other factors, farm incomes fluctuate from year to year. However, direct payments have provided a stabilising effect.