Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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786. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26675/16]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The Health and Safety Authority, under the responsibility of my colleague, Minister Mitchell O'Connor are the competent agency for safety in the workplace and this proposal regarding safety training should be addressed to that agency.

My Department supports the work of the HSA and have a number of on-going initiatives promoting farm safety. By way of example, all farmers can avail of supports in respect of farm safety measures under the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme  funded under the Rural Development Programme.

Applicants must also attend safety training to receive funding under the scheme. In recent years, we have also  targeted farm safety promotion through the distribution of safety leaflets to over 130,000 farmer annually.

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is also an active member of the Farm Safety Partnership Advisory Committee and works constructively with the Health and Safety Authority in its operation.  This committee consist of members from a wide range of bodies within agriculture and looks at how to promote and develop farm safety.