Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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1203. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on new data showing that the number of farmers in the west of Ireland has decreased by 41% since 1997; his plans regarding this situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1142/18]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Data on the number of farms is published in the CSO Census of Agriculture and the CSO Farm Structures Survey. The Census of Agriculture takes place every ten years, most recently in 2010, while the most recent Farm Structures Survey data is from 2013. This data suggest little change in the total number of farms since 2000, and a drop of just 2% in farm numbers in the West in that time.