Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I want to acknowledge and commend the Irish Farmers' Association on organising Farm Safety Day today, 21 July. The IFA is not looking for anything from the Government. The campaign is totally focused on asking farm families to take a little time out today to look at their practices and take an overview of their farms in order to see what steps, whether minor or major, can be taken to make sure their farms, which are also their homes and workplaces, can become safer and thereby minimise the risk of a tragedy. I believe this is a phenomenally positive campaign from the IFA. It is not crying to the Government or accusing the Government, the system or the establishment of not doing enough, even though we are clearly not doing enough. Instead, the IFA is focusing on its own organisation and on the 400,000-odd people who live and work on farms in this country. It is a campaign that will save lives. I sincerely hope it becomes an annual campaign and that 21 July each year will be a designated Farm Safety Day. I call on other organisations in the farm sector, whether those supplying products or otherwise, to get behind a national Farm Safety Day, and perhaps 21 July 2016 could have even more organisations involved in this very important initiative.

Seanad Éireann has certainly led the way and has played its role in highlighting farm safety. It is incumbent on all organisations engaged in farming through providing insurance, products or farm education to rally around on 21 July 2016. I send my very best wishes to the IFA and those involved for what they are doing today.