Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 February 2019
132. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the number of farm safety inspectors employed by the HSA; and the number of new inspectors that have been hired in 2017 and 2018, respectively for farm safety. [7644/19]
View answerThe Health and Safety Authority currently has 39 full time equivalent inspectors available to deliver the Authority’s occupational safety and health inspection programme. Of these, 24 inspectors will be involved in delivering the Authority’s farm inspection programme and promotion campaigns during 2019.
In 2017 the HSA undertook a recruitment campaign for 11 Inspector posts, 6 of which were for field inspection posts. These 6 Inspectors were involved in farm inspection campaigns during 2018 and were in addition to the existing cohort of 18 inspectors involved in farm inspections and farm safety campaigns.
In 2018, the HSA recruited 7 new field inspector posts of which 5 new inspector posts will be assigned to general inspection activities during 2019. Two of these posts will be involved in the delivery of the Authority’s farm inspection and farm safety promotion campaigns.
While farm inspection remains an important part of the Authority’s overall approach to improving safety standards on farms research has shown that, due to the size and nature of the sector, other methods of engagement with the farming sector are also highly valuable in bringing about sustainable and positive change to work practices on the farm.
Initiatives such as Knowledge Transfer Groups, Farm Walks, presentations and training to stakeholder groups as well as presentations and training to Agricultural students, the development and dissemination of information and guidance are all helping farmers to utilise new information, new procedures and practices and new technology to bring about safe and lasting changes in the way they farm.
