The Health and Safety Authority is the State body charged with responsibility for the administration, enforcement and promotion of all workplace health and safety legislation. The issue of farm safety and, in particular, the safety of children on farms, continues to be of concern both to myself and to the authority.
The Health and Safety Authority has planned 1,000 inspections in the farming and forestry sector in 1999, which is an increase of 200 over the 1998 figure. Particular attention has been paid throughout the year to the promotion of child safety with the assistance of farming organisations, the education authorities and the Garda community liaison service and the authority has emphasised to farmers the need to carry out appropriate risk assessments and to draw up safety statements to cover all hazards on the farm.