asked the Minister for Finance if he will indicate all the sources of statistical information that prompted him to raise the production value of £1 valuation of land from a notional one of £40 to £65.

As I indicated in my recent financial statement, the multiplier is being raised from 40 to 65, although a full-value multiplier on a national basis arising from farm incomes in 1976 would be around 80.

The principal source of information on farm incomes is the Central Statistics Office. The most recent available statistics for income arising in agriculture are those for 1975 prepared by that office and published in table 9 of the June, 1976 issue of the Irish Statistical Bulletin. The figure given in that table for “Income from self-employment and other trading income” is net of expenses related to farming, including rates on land. For the Economic Background to the Budget, 1977 it was estimated by my Department, in consultation with the Central Statistics Office, that farmers' incomes increased by 10 to 15 per cent in 1976 over 1975.

Having regard to the allowances not being granted this year, will the Minister not agree that the multiplier figure is more likely to be from 40 to 90 rather than from 40 to 65?

For 1977 the figure is over 100. The figure of 80 which I quoted is based on 1976 figures but, having regard to the estimated increases in 1977, the figure would be over 80.

Will the Minister not agree that it gives a false impression to say the figure has increased from 40 to 65? It has actually gone from 40 to over 90 when all the allowances that were available before the budget and are not available now are taken into account.

If the allowances to which the Deputy refers were to be reinstated, it would mean a multiplier of 82 for 1976. I am not aware of any substantial lobby in favour of having a multiplier of 82 and a restoration of the allowances which previously existed. Several organisations asked for a simpler multiplier than the one which operated from 1974 onwards. They wished to have a multiplier which would not involve keeping accounts and records, which was involved if all the deductions which were previously allowed were to continue to be allowed. The resulting system is a much simpler one and is a fair one having regard to the very substantial increase in net farming incomes between 1974 and 1977.