Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Question 126: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the number of persons employed full time and part time in farming in 1997, 2002 and the latest date for which figures are available; her plans to reverse the decline in the numbers working in farming; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21792/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The most recent figures available from the CSO show that there were 74,500 farmers whose sole occupation was farming in 2005, a drop of 23,800 since 1997. Over the same period the number of farmers with another either major or subsidiary occupation increased by 8,600 to 57,900.

The on-going trend towards part-time farming reflects a combination of factors including the increased availability of off-farm employment. Many small scale producers find that combining farming with off-farm employment is an effective way to ensure their continued viability in farming. At the same time, full-time farmers are looking to the new flexibility offered to them under decoupling to develop and intensify their commercial farm enterprises.