Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 July 2020
85. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the amount of funding provided by his Department or via bodies it funds for farm safety week in each of the years 2015 to 2019, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18846/20]
View answerThe Health and Safety Authority (HSA) has statutory responsibility for the promotion, regulation and enforcement of all workplace safety and health matters, including safety in the farming sector.
The farming sector continues to be the most dangerous sector in which to work, and each year the HSA carries out specific actions across the sector such as targeted media and awareness raising campaigns, participation at agricultural events, farm safety promotion in schools, focused inspection campaigns on issues such as livestock handling etc. This is in addition to routine unannounced inspections all year round. On average, over the last number of years, annual expenditure by the HSA in relation to these actions is approximately €500,000.
The Deputy’s question relates specifically to funding towards Farm Safety Week for the years 2015 to 2019. Farm Safety Week is an initiative across Ireland and the UK led by Yellow Wellies UK and the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA). The HSA is supportive of this initiative through safety promotion activities such as the undertaking of targeted inspections within the sector during this period and the sharing of relevant material on its social media platforms to coincide with the event.
As the promotion of this initiative in Ireland is led by the IFA, there are no directly attributable costs to the HSA or the Department arising from the promotion of Farm Safety Week.
