Tim Lombard (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State. This is the first time for me to address him about finance in this very important debate.

I wish to focus on the significant farm safety measures in the Bill. Amendment No. 65, passed in the Dáil, was a very important statement by this Government. It showed that farm safety needs to be considered as a policy priority. There is really significant stuff regarding farm safety in this budget but it needs to be highlighted to the farming community. The ability for farmers now to get capital allowances for adaptation grants after an accident is very positive and an important step forward.

The high level of farm accidents, which occur on a daily basis, is a blight on our community and society. We are literally less than 5% of the workforce but we have 40% of the accidents, which is a significant figure that we must address. This provision is a great start, which we need to welcome, but there is more to be done. I never saw the logic in having a VAT rate of 21% on farm safety gear like a power take-off or PTO shaft. A really significant effort has been made in this budget to incentivise farmers to ensure their equipment is up to the proper standard, which is the kind of approach we need. We do not need the stick all the time; a carrot is very important. This is why the measures in this Bill are so important for the agricultural community. It sends the message that we are listening, that we care and we need to put something in place to limit the number of farm accidents. I welcome the measures and acknowledge that they are a step in the right direction. I spoke about farm fatalities the first time that the Seanad sat. Over the past six or eight months I saw the burial of two of my neighbours due to farm fatalities, one person was killed by a bull and another in an accident involving a farm tractor. Farm safety is one of the key agricultural issues. If we want to attract more people to work in the industry then we must make it safer, particularly as it is an industry where one must work a lot on one's own.I welcome these really important measures in Part 1 of Schedule 35. They are what we need to see. It is a great step forward and I hope that in the next budget, we can move that barrier forward and pick up more aspects relating to farm safety.