asked the Minister for Finance if he will indicate for each local authority area (a) the total area of agricultural land assessed by the Farm Tax Act, 1986 (b) the average size in statute acres and in adjusted acres, of farmers assessed and (c) the range in sizes, in both statute acres and in adjusted acres, and the standard deviation between statute acres and adjusted acres for all land assessed under the Farm Tax Act, 1986.

74.

asked the Minister for Finance (a) the total number of agricultural holdings classified to date under the Farm Tax Act, 1986, and the numbers so classified for each county, (b) the average unadjusted total acreage of holdings classified in the State, and the average unadjusted total amount of holdings for each county, and (c) the mean and standard deviation, both at national and county level of the land adjustment coefficient, based on all holdings classified to date.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 and 74 together. I propose to circulate in the Official Report a statement showing by county, the available information in respect of those holdings included in the classification list compiled by the Farm Tax Commissioner in the period ended 1 September 1986. The statement shows for each county the number of holdings classified, the gross acreage, the adjusted acreage and the adjusted acreage as a percentage of the gross acreage. I regret that the balance of the information requested is not available.

Agricultural Holdings Classified by the Farm Tax Commissioner Summary by County

In view of the Minister's reply to the supplementary question from Deputy Deenihan on Question No. 2 I would again request the Minister to relent in relation to making available the information on the basis that what we are talking about is not specific confidential information. We are talking about a general slide rule of economic capacity which for non-assessed areas would provide a very valuable signpost without in any way divulging confidential minutiae, and it would seem somewhat of a shame to confine this information to the archives when it could be of general application in particular areas.

All I can say to the Deputy is that the information asked for in this question, in so far as it is available, has been given in the tabular statement.