I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Tom Kitt, for coming to the House to address this matter. It is high on his agenda and he has made a number of contributions on farm safety. I welcome the opportunity to raise this important matter on the Adjournment.
As we approach one of the busiest times in the farming calendar, it is vital that every safety procedure is employed on farms to prevent accidents and every avenue is explored to ensure the farming public, particularly young people, are made aware of the dangers.
Last year, 27 people died on farms. This figure, as the Minister of State will agree, is unacceptable but it is of extreme concern that six of those who died were children. The figures for the first few months of this year seem to indicate this trend is continuing. By the middle of January two farm deaths had already occurred, one involving a child. Another frightening statistic which is of concern is that since 1990, one in four of all farm fatalities involved children. There are far too many serious accidents happening on our farms which have left people disabled for life.
I accept that it is much easier to apply safety mechanisms to industry than to farming. As a senior inspector with the health and safety authority said, the working area is also the living area and this is where particular dangers are posed with regard to the supervision of children on farms. There are obvious dangers on farms of which every farmer should be made aware. Slurry agitation and the consequent emission of methane gas from slurry pits is an obvious one. The transportation of high loads of bales, where there can be contact with overhead electric cables or extended or overhanging trees and branches also pose a difficulty. Power take off transmissions may result in people becoming entangled especially if they are wearing loose-fitting clothing. Everyone should all be aware of these dangers. The use of heavy machinery, especially during the silage and hay making season also poses a danger. The dangers posed by livestock should not be underestimated either. Last year, three adults were killed by a bull, a cow and a stag. Already this year there have been fatalities in this area.
Everyone has a role to play in reducing the unacceptable number of farm deaths occurring in Ireland. I compliment the Irish Farmers' Association for its ongoing farm safety campaign and its recently launched national advertising campaign on farm safety. Every avenue should be explored and used to ensure the farming public is aware of the dangers involved, particularly during the high season. More can be done. The National Safety Authority is on record as saying there is now an urgent need for farmers to draw up a list of where accidents could happen. Until this is done by every farmer in the country there will not be real progress.
There is also an onus on the Minister for Agriculture and Food to step up the campaign to improve farm safety. Regular and ongoing farm safety checks would significantly improve farm safety standards. However, as it stands, the number of health and safety authority inspectors is inadequate and they are already overburdened by requests to inspect non-compliant workplaces.
Another major contribution which could be made towards reducing farm accidents is a sustained education programme, particularly in rural schools. At this time of year, young children are looking forward to endless days playing on the family farm but few of them are aware of the dangers they may face. This should entail the use of video demonstrations to heighten the awareness of the dangers one can face on a farm and it should include the concealed dangers as well as the obvious ones. Likewise, a video on the dangers on farms should be produced and shown at livestock marts throughout the country.
I impress on the Minister of Agriculture and Food that he should work with his counterpart in the Department of Education and Science and the Minister of State, Deputy Tom Kitt, to establish a safety awareness programme which would be available in all rural schools as soon as practicable. I have no doubt that parents, farm organisations and teachers would be prepared to contribute to such a programme. The work of the farm safety task force, when it comes to full fruition, should not go unnoticed. I urge the Minister to take its recommendations on board and that they be fully analysed and enacted as a matter of urgency.