Michelle Mulherin (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I commend Senator Paul Daly for the body of work he has done to bring this item before the House today and thank him for putting this issue centre stage. It is so important that we try to do what we can to reduce fatalities and serious life-changing injuries arising out of farm accidents. It is a real weak spot for farm families. Senator Paddy Burke spoke about the change in farming over the past number of years.We could safely say in the past 30 to 40 years, the mechanisation of farming have brought us to this point. We need to catch up with that and be prepared and respond appropriately. The largest amount of incidents involve tractors, followed by farm machinery and then livestock. We all know that livestock are not handled as previously; there is not the same familiarity with human beings etc. A myriad of things need to be addressed there.

I was concerned to read that in the past four years the number of Health and Safety Authority inspections of farms had halved. I believe this is something Senator Paul Daly's Bill can serve to highlight. When I talk of inspections, many of these inspections can simply be an intervention where a bad habit has been formed in dealing with machinery such as not covering a PTO shaft etc. Sometimes such an intervention from an outside person highlighting the danger of the practice can assist. I know the Health and Safety Authority also sends notices. It is not all about prosecutions. It is about prevention and guiding people in the right way.

Other things could assist in the matter. Youngsters in secondary school can study agricultural science just as they can study other practical subjects such as woodwork and technical drawing. I believe there is scope to introduce secondary school courses in manual handling and courses equivalent to the Safe Pass for farming. Many secondary school students who want to continue on in the family farm or to get into farming know it at that stage. Why not equip them in a practical way for what is ahead of them and allow them to develop awareness that they are dealing with dangerous equipment? We would be giving them a life skill and helping their families. There are farmers further along and obviously that is not a suggestion for them. We can all be educated about the dangers of this machinery. I ask that for the issue of education to be looked at. It would mean that when they leave school and go to a farm college or whatever they are ready to go out in the farm. At least we can be confident that we have gone some way towards that education piece.

As has been said, injuries arising from farm accidents can affect young and old. It pierces very deep in communities, as has been highlighted. With the objective and underlying purpose expressed in the Bill, I hope we can see immediately some more prioritisation with the Health and Safety Authority regarding its approach to farming practices and then in due course taking into account further what Senator Daly has proposed.