Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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543. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the amount spent by the Health and Safety Authority on farm safety initiatives and the number of inspections in each of the years 2011 to 2015 and to date in 2016, in tabular form; her views on the growing number of farm fatalities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40868/16]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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544. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the amount allocated by the Health and Safety Authority for farm safety initiatives in 2016 and 2017; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40869/16]

Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 543 and 544 together.

The Health and Safety Authority initially allocated a budget of €244,000 for farm safety initiatives in 2016. These initiatives have included the organisation of, participation in, or support for a number of agriculture related events such as the Farmer of the Year Awards, Farm Safety Week, Teagasc Beef 2016, and the National Ploughing Championships.

The funding allocations that the Authority makes for particular aspects of its annual programme of work, including farm safety initiatives, can fluctuate from year to year as the Authority decides how to prioritise its non-pay funding in order to implement its programme of work.

Table of Expenditure on Farm Safety Initiatives 2011 to 2015

*Note that annual figures for expenditure include some cross sectoral initiatives where the expenditure would also be relevant to other sectors – it is not possible to extract this so it has been included as the full figure. In addition, some of the advertising initiatives would cross years, so the yearly figure is an estimate of the expenditure relevant to that year.

In October 2016, I was happy to support the Authority’s application to my Department for additional supplementary support (€340,000) in the context of the Department’s mid-year expenditure review. These additional funds have facilitated a number of farm safety initiatives to be undertaken this year. The initial internal allocation made by the Board of the Authority was accordingly boosted by a further €140,000 specifically allocated to farm safety initiatives. This has brought the total funding available to the Authority for farm safety initiatives in 2016 to €384,000. I do not have information at this stage on any decisions made by that Authority with regard to its discretionary spending on farm safety initiatives in 2017.

Farm inspections and investigations 2011 – 2016

Visits to farms by inspectors include routine unannounced inspections to monitor compliance with the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 2005 and with other health and safety regulations and to investigate fatal and serious farm accidents. Typically in any one year there can be between 60 – 90 investigations on farms with the rest being unannounced inspections. Each year the HSA carry out a two week intensive farm inspection campaign in April and this year over 500 inspections were carried out during that period. Since 2014 the HSA has redirected some of its inspection resources to engaging directly with farmers on other accident prevention initiatives. In 2016 HSA inspectors have participated in over 24 farm safety walks and presentations to farmers, many of which are organised by the farming representative bodies. This has enabled the HSA to direct its message to over 2,000 farmers this year.

I am very concerned at the high level of farm fatalities since it goes without saying that safety in agriculture is a high priority for the Health and Safety Authority and for the Government. Since mid-November of this year there have been four people killed on farms, with 19 deaths in total so far this year. Many fatalities occur when farmers are doing jobs that are not part of their normal working day, e.g. maintenance or adjustment of equipment, maintaining or working on a building. No other sector is experiencing that level of fatal accidents and it is greatly concerning to me that so many families are losing loved ones due to work activity.

The Health and Safety Authority has sought, in consultation with the Farm Safety Partnership - an advisory committee of the Authority that includes representatives from a wide range of key farming stakeholders - to broaden the type of contact with farmers and to find the most effective means to spread the message of prevention within the farming community. I was pleased this week to have to take part in a Farm Walk near Kilrush in County Clare involving local farmers along with the HSA and Teagas. This is one of the farm safety initiatives developed by the Farm Safety Partnership and it provides opportunity for farmers to see first-hand the dangers and learn how to minimise the risks to themselves and their families.

The Authority’s Programme of Work for 2016 continues the emphasis on engagement with farmers through knowledge sharing groups. Priority tasks for the current year include:

- implementation of Year 1 of the Farm Safety Partnership Action Plan, 2016 to 2018,

- continuing awareness campaigns through the media, events and advertising targeted at agricultural sector,

- promotion of good health for farmers,

- publication of information sheets,

- reviewing and updating the Code of Practice on farm safety

- developing an e-learning tool on tractor and machinery safety,

- focusing on child safety on farms through programmes at primary and post-primary school level,

- increasing awareness of farm safety throughout the sector.

- ESRI research on farm safety.

I commend the Irish Farmers’ Association and the Farm Safety Partnership on their support for the 2016 Farm Safety Week 4 to 8 July. This is the fourth annual Farm Safety Week, an initiative launched in 2013 aiming to cut the toll of accidents which continue to give agriculture the poorest record of any occupation in Ireland. I particularly welcome this joint initiative which brings together the farming organisations from North and South and from the United Kingdom as well as the UK Health & Safety Executive, the Health & Safety Executive for Northern Ireland and the Health & Safety Authority, Ireland.