Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will proceed with a few questions. The vote in the Dáil is on but I will carry on. Committee members have put their questions and I will ask a few more to complete the process.

Deputy Aylward touched on the issue of fatalities. Teagasc provides agricultural advice and the farmers are its clients. I have read the report. Health and safety is mentioned on page 51, and I know Dr. Jim Phelan has been active in this area, but I do not get a feel from the report that it is a significant priority for Teagasc. What I mean by this is we know it is a priority but it is not an adequate priority. On page 51, it states that in 2017 a total of 24 people died in accidents on Irish farms, which was an increase of three on the 2016 number. To date this year, I believe there have been 16 or 17 farm deaths. The very next sentence of the report states that Teagasc works with a number of partners to promote health and safety among rural stakeholders. In the first paragraph on this issue Teagasc outsources much of the issue. Even though everyone is concerned about this, I get the feeling no one has ownership when it comes to dealing with the problem. It is a health and safety issue. If there is a farm death, the Health and Safety Authority conducts the investigation, not Teagasc.