Mr. John Bryan:

Two aspects of the issue raised by the Deputy are of huge concern for all farmers and the IFA. I refer to fatal accidents on farms and the frightening number of suicides on farms. We have put a great deal of resources into both areas. The IFA's farm family committee works with the Health and Safety Authority and Pieta House. We try to hold information meetings. There have been nine fatal farm accidents so far this year, but the number is dropping. Every accident has significant consequences. I hear about fatal accidents almost on a monthly basis and of on-farm suicides almost on a daily basis. They are all tragic. The cutbacks in the health service are notable in this context. Frequently I receive a telephone call about someone's son who is suffering from stress. The son goes into hospital, only to be sent home and told to look after himself, and he commits suicide the day after. The cutbacks are affecting all sectors of society.

Suicide is a huge issue in rural Ireland. Suicide levels are much higher in rural Ireland than in urban Ireland. They are particularly high in most rural areas. The level of suicide among bachelor farmers and young farmers in their 20s is a huge concern for us. The IFA is a voluntary organisation and we collect voluntary subscriptions. We are using the resources available to us to deal with this issue. We are running projects in conjunction with Pieta House and the GAA to try to get older farmers out and make them aware of this issue. Both of these areas are of huge concern. The services available in this area, like others, have been reduced substantially as a result of cutbacks. However, there are people who need help. When we meet officials from the Departments of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Environment, Community and Local Government, we always try to point out that many farmers are sole traders.

They live in their own lane and have no one to talk to except a sheep dog all day. Sometimes when an aggressive inspector calls to them, whether from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine or the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, they find it intimidating. This is stressful for them. In times of cutbacks, all Departments should be very conscious of the stress they put on people when they visit them. We are talking here about people who have zero contact. However nobody here is like that. Nobody here lives most of the week alone at home with the door closed in isolation. When these people get a visit from an officious person in a suit, the stress this causes can be huge. Therefore, across Departments there should be some understanding of the stress people are under and a particular approach should be taken. Notice of inspection, in particular, should be given. Farmers should not just become aware of an inspection when they look out the door and see somebody walking across their field. They should be given advance notice of an inspection.

We have entered negotiations with both the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government to try to tidy up this practice, but it is still an area that causes serious and unnecessary stress for people. What difference will it make to the Department to give proper notice? Proper courtesy and the manner in which farmers are treated is very important. We are very concerned about the deaths on farms and about what can be done to reduce them.