Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I have two brief questions. A couple of speakers referred to progress in terms of dealing with gases emitted by slurry tanks. A system is being developed by an engineering company to extract the poisonous gases from the slurry tank which would prevent a farmer or his son inhaling them. That would prevent people collapsing and falling into slurry pits, which unfortunately happens too frequently. Last year, there was a very high profile case in Northern Ireland which involved tragic circumstances. There was another case last year close to where I live in west Cork in which a fit, young man lost his life. How advanced is progress in that regard?

My other question relates to using a belt. When a fisherman goes overboard, a bleeper goes off when he hits the water. Is there a system in place whereby a bleeper would sound if gas levels reached a dangerous level? How much progress has been made in that regard? I am a farmer's son and I live in a farming community. Farm slurry tank accidents should not be happening in 2015. There are limited times during the year when one can agitate a tank with the intention of filling a slurry spreader in order to spread the slurry and the basic approach should be that people ensure they are not caught out, yet every year one, two or three people are caught, which is most unfortunate.

I wish to respond to what Mr. Rohan said about making wills compulsory in certain circumstances. I am interested in the point as I work as a solicitor as part of my day job. There are situations where a couple is not legally married but they have children and difficulties can arise with the banks in the event of a farm fatality. Could the Succession Act be changed to incorporate some of the ideas he outlined? I am very interested in Mr. Rohan's ideas but I am not sure how they could be progressed. The law is a fluid entity and change is always possible. What was not possible in 1940 has since been changed. Without holding up matters unduly, I would welcome a brief comment from the witnesses on those two final issues.