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Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 3 Dec 1998

Vol. 497 No. 7

Other Questions. - Farm Accidents.

Willie Penrose

Question:

5 Mr. Penrose asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of farm accidents on record for the first six months of 1998; the way in which this figure corresponds to the same period in 1997; the steps, if any, she has taken to improve farm safety; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23225/98]

The Health and Safety Authority is the State body charged with responsibility for the day-to-day enforcement of workplace health and safety legislation.

A total of 13 fatalities in the agricultural sector were reported to the authority for the first six months of 1998. For the same period in 1997 there were six reported agricultural fatalities. In relation to non-fatal accidents, 24 such incidences were reported to the authority for the first six months of 1998, while there were 17 reported non-fatal accidents for the same period in 1997.

I should point out to the Deputy, however, that according to the authority, there is a significant and considerable under-reporting of non-fatal accidents in the agricultural sector and this fact should be borne in mind when examining the figures.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my personal concern, and that of the authority, at this increase in farm fatalities and accidents which is especially worrying given the improvements that had been made in recent years in this sector. It is also particularly tragic and poignant to see that six of the total fatalities so far this year have been children.

Agriculture has always been a priority area of activity for the authority which carries out approximately 800 inspections per year in the agricultural sector. gives talks to farm groups up and down the country, and makes its staff available to farmers through attendance at farm shows and exhibitions, including the national ploughing championships.

In addition, the authority provides an extensive range of guidance literature and information on the control of farm hazards. The authority has also established an agricultural safety task force, the members of which are drawn from the farming community itself and who are, therefore, best placed to offer guidance to the authority and to spearhead safety promotion activities.

In human terms, the cost of farm accidents is enormous. What must be remembered is that despite farming being a family business and the farm containing the family residence, a farm is still a high risk place of work and must be regarded with the utmost care and caution.

It is essential that farmers assess all the risks before undertaking farm tasks and then put in place the necessary safety measures before attempting these tasks. I would like to take this opportunity to urge all farmers who have not done so to draw up a safety statement identifying all the hazards, risks and appropriate safety measures and, where such safety statements exist, to keep them under regular review.

In statistical terms significant improvements had been made both in 1996 and 1997 in relation to the number of farm fatalities. However, 1998 has not been a good year so far and this serves to remind us that there is a constant need for vigilance and the continued promotion of farm safety. I would urge all farmers and farm workers to treat their work as the high risk activity it actually is, and to exercise constant care and vigilance in their work practices, especially so where there are children on the farm.

I would also like to take this opportunity to express my deepest sympathy to all the families who have suffered a bereavement through a farm accident this year. My thoughts are especially with the families of the six children who so tragically lost their lives.

I thank you, a Cheann Comhairle, for your kindness in allowing me to raise the Priority Question in relation to the interim interdepartmental report on a national minimum wage, which was, I think, illegally and unconstitutionally disallowed by the General Office. The report was not available on the last occasion that the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Harney, took questions.

That is right.

It should, therefore, have been possible to discuss it during Question Time today. It was an unfortunate lapse by our staff and I am grateful to you, Sir, for allowing me to raise it at the conclusion of Question Time.

On a point of order, will we all be so allowed because my questions concerning the minimum wage were also disallowed?

If the Deputy has any problem with a question, she knows what the procedure is.

I am content to share my time with Deputy Owen, if she wishes.

I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive reply on farm accidents and fatalities. There has been an incredible rise in accidents this year, involving a doubling of fatalities to 13, along with other non-fatal accidents. Does the Minister agree it is specially appalling that six of these were children? I remember hopping up on tractors, combine harvesters and so on as a child and helping out generally, but surely the Minister has an absolute responsibility to ensure these appalling figures relating to farm accidents and fatalities are dealt with much more vigorously. It is part of his general remit in relation to health and safety, but so far, over 18 months, he has failed to get the resources he needed. I did not notice any mention in the budget yesterday of extra facilities for the Department the three Ministers represent for more inspectors and a more vigorous approach generally. In the past previous Governments mounted more successful and vigorous campaigns on farm safety. Perhaps the three Ministers here have a responsibility to travel around the country to bring to the attention of people, particularly those in the farming industry, the importance of safety. In the farming community, 800 inspections in the context of 140,000 units is derisory — it is not even 1 per cent.

I remind the Deputy that this is Question Time.

These are appalling statistics that my colleague, Deputy Penrose, has rightly brought to light, and the Minister is not living up to his responsibilities.

I reject the Deputy's case on resources. He should compare the figures from my predecessor's time with the current figures and deal with facts. We are dealing with a very tragic situation. I have expressed my deepest sympathy particularly in respect of the loss of young children in farming accidents. However, the facts are that I have secured an additional 20 staff for the Health and Safety Authority during my period in office. I thank the Tánaiste in particular for her support in that area. That was done by hard negotiation with the Minister for Finance in particular. I thank him also for his support. It was possible to do that because of increased economic activity in general. We must ensure adequate resources for the Health and Safety Authority which has responsibility for this area.

With regard to the agricultural sector, additional staff meant increased inspections for that sector proportionate to the situation in the past. I state categorically that my involvement in getting increased resources was greater than that of my predecessor. That is not to take away from the work of any former Minister with responsibility for health and safety. Much of our work involves a hands-on approach and visiting parts of the country. I have worked closely with the agricultural community and with representatives of the IFA and other organisations to increase awareness. As a former primary teacher I have also been involved in a number of programmes. One was a competition on farm safety for school children which attracted 10,000 to 12,000 entries. We have to get the message across to children on farms.

A special agricultural safety task force has a number of schemes in place, and it is constantly looking for new ways of getting the message across. I am helping it to get that message across. It is looking at safety statements on farms, a code of practice for children's safety on farms, tractor driving skills, training programmes and machinery safety courses. There are ongoing discussions between myself and the chairman of the authority. I assure the Deputy of my personal interest in this. If we can save one life, if we can prevent one accident, we will be doing a great service.

There is much work to be done. I join with the Deputy in highlighting the need to get the message across to all concerned that extra vigilance is required because a farm, like any other place of business, is a very dangerous place with all sorts of potential accidents waiting to happen.

I thank the Minister for his reply.

I share with Deputy Broughan and the Minister a horror at the increase in the number of accidents on farms, having only recently attended the funeral of a wonderful woman who got caught in a machine and was killed.

Does the Minister have a breakdown of the causes of the 13 fatalities and injuries? Is it possible to zone in on the most serious area of danger in farming? Is it tractor accidents, falls into slurry tanks or some other type of accident?

I do not have the specifics on file but I can give the Deputy that information from recollection, because a report is sent to the Health and Safety Authority and to the Minister of the day. The Deputy mentioned slurry pits. Many of those fatal accidents involved tractors. I remember in particular the case in Wexford where two children sadly died in an accident involving a tractor. The Deputy is right in saying there is a need to focus on specific dangers on the farm. That is being done. The IFA and other organisations, for example, the ICMSA, the ICA, Teagasc, ICOS, Macra na Feirme, Mitchelstown Creamery and many other organisations are involved in trying to get the message across. I take this opportunity to thank them for that. That type of co-ordinated effort, particularly to get the message across to children, is very important. I will get a breakdown for the Deputy of the unfortunate circumstances in which people have died.

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