Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The committee will now hear presentations from a number of contributors with their roots in rural and farming communities and families. Embrace FARM, or farming accidents - remembered and missed, was founded in 2014 by Mr. Brian Rohan whose father, Liam, died as a result of an accident on his farm in County Laois in 2012. The organisation was established to provide bereavement support to widows and family members of farmers who died at work. Embrace FARM sent the committee links to videos which it has produced and they stand as eloquent testimony to the lives of those who have died in farm accidents. They remind us of the real people behind the statistics and of the families and friends who are coping with the loss. Embrace FARM is represented today by Mr. Brian Rohan and Mr. Peter Gohery, who are both directors of the organisation.

We also have representatives from Irish Rural Link, which was formed in 1991 as a national network of organisations and individuals campaigning for sustainable rural development in Ireland and Europe.

The organisation has undertaken a number of farm safety initiatives and has identified three key areas for priority action. Irish Rural Link is represented by Mr. Séamus Boland and Mr. Vincent Nally. Councillor John Dolan represents the Athlone electoral area on Westmeath County Council, and in his submission to the committee he has put forward a number of practical proposals to improve and promote farm safety. The witnesses are all very welcome.

Before we begin, I remind witnesses that their position before the committee is that of a witness. Witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of the evidence they give to the committee. However, if they are directed by it to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and they continue to so do, they will thereafter be entitled only to qualified privilege in respect of their evidence. They are directed that only evidence connected with the subject matter of these proceedings is to be given and are asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, they should not criticise or make charges against any person by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable.

All of the submissions made will form part of our report. I invite the Embrace FARM representatives to address the committee. We will then move on to the other groups in this tranche, followed by questions and answers.