Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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555. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the efforts his Department is making to address the dangers related to slurry pits and tanks on farms; the number of deaths associated with such pits and tanks to which the attention of his Department was drawn in each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32236/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Farm safety is a critical issue facing farming today. Statistics show that accidents on farms cause more workplace deaths than all other occupations combined. To date this year there have been 15 fatal farm accidents on Irish farms. These 15 fatal farm accidents account for fifty percent of all fatal work accidents so far in 2017, while farming accounts for less than 6 percent of the workforce. Since the beginning of 2012 there have been 5 fatal accidents relating to slurry pit safety.

All of the Building Specifications drawn up by my Department for the construction of agricultural buildings and structures include a section on Health and Safety. These specifications set out the minimum standard to which all work must be completed and include safety related requirements such as all slurry agitation points being external and guidelines on the safe agitation of slurry. It is a requirement of these farm building specifications that all slurry tanks are either securely fenced, or covered by slats or slabs with safety access points. These specifications are freely available to all farmers.

As part of the current TAMS II schemes, grant-aid is available for the retrofitting of safety fencing, safety manhole covers, slabs and slat replacement, this is in addition to grant-aiding new slurry stores that meet the full requirements of my Department's Farm Building Specifications. Grant-aid is provided at a rate of 40% of the cost of the works and Young Farmers will be grant-aided at 60% of the cost of the works. Also, under the TAMS II schemes, grant-aid will be provided for the provision of a slurry agitation platform for all external tanks.