Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 140: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the number of persons employed full time and employed part time in agriculture in 2007; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19641/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The most recent figures available from the Central Statistics Office are for the year 2005 and these show that there were 73,500 farmers whose sole occupation was farming or 56% of the total. The number of farmers with another either major or subsidiary occupation was 58,900 or 44% of the total and they would be considered to be part-time. The trend in recent years has been towards part-time farming and 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.