Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 25 October 2017
230. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the value in euro received by Teagasc, either nationally or through the EU, for farm safety initiatives in each of the years 2010 to 2016 and to date in 2017, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45140/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraWhile the Health and Safety Authority has primary responsibility for Health and Safety on farms, my Department is fully supportive of their work and assists in the promotion of safe farming practices. Teagasc’s overarching role is to deliver advisory, research and training services to the farming and agri-food sector. Its activities are guided by an Authority that is representative of stakeholder groups including the farming organisations.
Teagasc advise that they have not received any 'specific funds' nationally or from the EU for its farm safety initiatives. However, my Department provides Teagasc with an annual grant in aid allocation to fund its activities and it earns additional own income from advisory fees etc. The allocation of funding to particular programmes is an operational matter for Teagasc management and its governing Authority. Its work in the area of farm health and safety is fully integrated in their education, training, advisory and research activities - estimates of the health and safety component costs are not available. For example, Teagasc provided training on farm health and safety to all Knowledge Transfer Programme Facilitators operated by my Department. This training was conducted in association with Health and Safety Authority staff and focused on adapting farms to make them safer places for all at work and who live on farms.
