Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 July 2023
20. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine what action is being taken by his Department to improve farmers’ knowledge and awareness of the prevention of injury and ill-health on farms, in particular the use of targeted media campaigns, and how awareness is raised in rural communities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34492/23]
View answerI thank the Deputy for raising this important topic.
My Department is implementing a range of measures on farm safety utilising dedicated funding of €2.5m secured in Budget 2023. These measures include actions to educate and raise awareness of farm safety, health and and capital support to make farms a safer working environment. These initiatives promote farm safety practices, risk awareness and behavioural change around farm safety from a young age.
My Department has partnered with the Health and Safety Authority to deliver a series of targeted media campaigns in 2023, focused on a range of high-risk areas. The first instalment focused on livestock safety around calving time and the next instalment will focus on quad safety. This follows on from a joint media campaign in 2022 that focused on reminding farmers not to be complacent around machinery.
My Department funded the printing of the Farm Safety Partnership Advisory Committee’s ‘Farmers Health and Wellbeing’ booklet which was distributed to over 122,000 farmers as part of the 2023 BISS packs.
Earlier this year, my Ministerial colleague Martin Heydon, launched the Farm Safety Partnership’s series of farmer health and safety videos, including a video on Electrical Farm Safety.
I have secured an increase in the grant rate to 60% for farm safety equipment in the TAMS3 Farm Safety Capital Investment Scheme. The scheme includes new investments which were not previously grant aided. ‘Health and Safety’ guidelines are included in all ‘Building Specifications' for the construction of agricultural buildings and structures. It is mandatory for participants in the ten TAMS3 measures to submit a farm safety Code of Practice training certificate as part of the TAMS3 payment claim.
Training will be delivered to over 20,000 Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP) participants including health and safety training on handling livestock.
The new Knowledge Transfer Programme will include farm health, safety, and wellbeing as one of its priority topics.
The ACRES training scheme, which will be delivered later this year to 46,000 participants, will provide an overview on health and safety as part of good farm management. Farm safety training was also part of the Agri-Environmental Training Scheme in 2022.
My Department continues to engage with all stakeholders to improve farm safety, health and wellbeing and to reduce the unacceptable level of deaths and injuries on farm. Further initiatives are being finalised and will be announced in due course.
