Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am very much aware that our guests have gone into the substantive elements that have been raised by my colleagues and I will not go into a lot of the detail. However, there are a couple of matters I wanted to raise. I echo the welcome from all of my colleagues and thank them for coming before us at such short notice.

It is on the record, although the witnesses did not say it, that while we are talking here about statistics, we are talking about real people. Nobody is unaware of that in our contributions but it should be stated. There is personal devastation caused to families from these death, the vast majority of which, as our guests state, were potentially preventable.

There is no significant reduction in fatality rates. One is eight times more likely to die working on a farm in Ireland than the general working population, which is a staggering statistic. There are two deaths per 100,000 workers but the rate is eight times higher in the farming sector.

I want to make reference to the GL Noble Denton research on agriculture, which the witnesses included in the documentation. The documentation raises one or two of the issues to which Deputy Fitzmaurice referred, for example that: "The influence on stress of perceived excessive paper work and regulation is notable." Perhaps we would not always think about such stress. The documentation also lists: "The stated influence of excessive fatigue, poor lighting and weather were greater than anticipated." The witnesses might have a view on that. It also states: "Research confirmed much of our current thinking and prevention programs [sic] as being appropriate but also indicates where some sharpening of messaging and focus are needed." Here is my question, which may seem a little naive. Prior to social media and the communications era in which we are involved, I can remember when growing up that one saw aluminium signs in various workplaces, farms, etc., listing do's and dont's. My understanding is that the statements on safety tend to be contained in books and filed.

Naive and all as it might seem, would the witnesses consider publicising key safety issues, for example, four or five dos and don'ts of farm safety, and putting them on an aluminium sheet in order that they could be posted up in the milking parlour or other central location on a farm? The message would be there for everyone to see. Farmers intend to work safely and it is reasonable to ask what occurs between the process of hazard identification and subsequent injury.

The research partly addresses the issue by saying that some of the answers lie in farmers having excessive self confidence, feelings of immunity to accident or injury, the fact they have never been caught before and risk taking becoming the norm. When one looks at the statistics for last year, reference has been made to the higher than average number of elderly farmers in their 70s and 80s, it seems to me to be a case of familiarity breeding contempt to some degree, although when one looks at the details of the accidents, as have been outlined, the random nature of some of them is awful to contemplate. It is often a case of the wrong place at the wrong time. The assumption is that the machinery is safe when it is not. That is why I promote the argument that rather than having elaborate safety measures and putting them in book form - which is good and I do not in any way say it should not continue - perhaps at a simple level one could consider listing three or four of the do's and don'ts because as the statistics indicate, the highest rate of fatalities relates to farm machinery. Therefore, if even that were to be addressed it might mean that the farmer when closing the farm door would see the sign asking whether he has switched off the engine or put the machinery in permanent safety mode. That would be a reminder not only to the farmer himself or herself but also to those associated with the farm.

My final point relates to the high statistics on fatalities last year, as outlined by Mr. Griffin. He is correct to conclude that expansion is expected on Irish farms in the future and that will present a particular challenge for farm safety generally due to increased stock numbers and work activity. The experts know what the challenges are and like my colleagues I wish them continued success in their important work.