Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 14 January 2015
246. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the discussions he or officials in his Department have held since 2011 with the Department for Agriculture and Food in relation to farm safety issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1124/15]
View answerI am particularly concerned at the high level of farm fatalities and it goes without saying that safety in agriculture will continue to be a high priority for the HSA and for the Government in 2015.
As the HSA and the Department of Agriculture and Food have a common interest in promoting safe working in the agriculture sector opportunities for collaborative action are proactively sought and maximised.
In May 2014, prior to my appointment, a joint statement was issued by Minister Bruton and Minister Coveney highlighting farm safety and the unacceptable level of fatalities. At that time both Ministers appealed to farmers and all involved in the agriculture sector to increase their safety awareness and ensure that safety became part of a daily routine.
Since my appointment I have attended the National Ploughing Championships where I met farming representatives and discussed the prevention of farm accidents. I also assisted the HSA and Teagasc in launching their joint Farm Safety and Health Training Programme. At this launch I emphasised the good working relationship between the two state agencies working towards a common goal.
Last December the Minister for Agriculture and Food, Simon Coveney TD and I attended the launch of “Too Cold for Sharks”, a children’s publication for families involved in fishing. The educational approach used to develop this publication followed the model of the successful farm safety awareness initiative by the HSA in 2013. The launch of the children’s book in December 2014 presented a further opportunity to discuss farm safety issues.
The Farm Safety Partnership (FSP) is the platform for developing coordinated initiatives on awareness raising, safety promotion, research, etc, and includes among others representatives from all the farming organisations, the Department of Agriculture and Teagasc as well as my own Department. Positive outputs from this collaborative approach include the launch in April 2014 by the HSA and Minister Coveney of the "Safe Slurry handling" DVD. This DVD was produced in partnership with Irish Rural Link and this was made possible through a €50k grant payment from my Department to the HSA.
I would like to assure the Deputy that my Department and the Department of Agriculture and Food will continue to engage proactively on this issue with a view to reversing the current trend in unprecedented levels of farm fatalities.
