Paul Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I raise again a matter I mentioned just prior to the recess. It is the very pressing matter of farm safety and farm-related deaths. Unfortunately, last week there were two more fatalities, bringing the total to 17 for the year gone by. As somebody who is very involved in the national ploughing championships, it is telling that on the first day of that event, one of the deaths was of Mr. Martin Kehoe, a former ploughing champion. I extend my sympathy to all of the families that have suffered a bereavement through a farm accident, particularly the Kehoe family in County Wexford.

I tried to have the issue of farm safety examined and discussed by the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture and Food. I was told that it was not possible to discuss it as the Health and Safety Authority, HSA, came within the remit of the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation. I do not want to use the phrase too loosely, but on the day I got the impression that we were playing football with such a serious issue which to an extent has been kicked to touch by the agriculture committee as apparently it falls to be discussed by the Minister with responsibility for enterprise and employment. It might be unprecedented, but I ask the Leader to bring both Ministers to the House for a full and frank debate on the matter. We must stop kicking the ball and receive an action plan from both Departments. The HSA may come within the remit of the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation, but this is an agricultural matter. It is no longer acceptable to be told on going to one side that we should be at the other. There have been 17 deaths and we have not yet reached 1 October. Something must be done. I have raised the matter on numerous occasions. A previous committee which was chaired by the Cathaoirleach produced a fantastic report that I have read and it included an action plan to promote farm safety. However, it is sitting on a shelf somewhere and no action is being taken.

When the Leader meets the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, I ask him to plead strongly with the Minister to extend the slurry spreading deadline from 15 October. This is related to my last point, as issues such calendar dates and deadlines put farmers under pressure. We are all aware of the extremely inclement weather conditions we have had in the past fortnight and three weeks, in particular. They put farmers under pressure to do work that is unsuitable. Slurry spreading must be carried out by 15 October, which increases the risk of accidents and fatalities occurring. Elements such as this could be changed as they are not major milestones. Moving a date on the calendar would eliminate the added risk in farmers having to finish a job by a certain date which they cannot do because of weather conditions.