Written answers
Wednesday, 24 September 2008
Department of Agriculture and Food
Farm Debt
9:00 pm
Martin Ferris (Kerry North, Sinn Fein)
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Question 1599: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the level of farm debt over the past five years. [30644/08]
Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The Central Bank's Quarterly Bulletins (Statistical Annex Table C8 and C9) contain data on the aggregate level of deposits and credit in the agriculture sector (including forestry). Taken together these datasets give an indicative level of aggregate indebtedness in the sector. In December 2007 deposits for the sector stood at €2,904m with credit advances standing at €4,761m. This equates to an estimated aggregate level of indebtedness of €1,857m in the sector. Data for the years 2003-2007 inclusive is contained in the table below:
| Deposits, Credit, and indebtedness in the agriculture* sector 2003-2007 | |||
| Year | Deposits | Credit | Indebtedness |
| (€M) | |||
| 2003 | 2,019 | 3,155 | -1,136 |
| 2004 | 2,583 | 3,379 | -796 |
| 2005 | 3,208 | 3,690 | -482 |
| 2006 | 3,407 | 4,401 | -994 |
| 2007 | 2,904 | 4,761 | -1,857 |
| * Includes Forestry. |
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