Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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189. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the amount allocated by the Health and Safety Authority for farm safety initiatives in each of the years 2010 to 2017 and to date in 2018, in tabular form; the number of inspections in each year in the same period; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8032/18]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The amount allocated by the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) for farm safety initiatives in the years 2010 to 2017 with an estimated expenditure for 2018 and the number of farm inspections and investigations 2010– 2018 are set out in the attached tables.

The HSA originally allocated a budget of €384,000 for farm safety initiatives in 2017. However, actual expenditure was higher at €533,995 due to the allocation of additional funding by my Department during 2017.

In 2018 the HSA has allocated approximately €624,000 for farm safety initiatives. The actual figure expended might vary during the year in response to particular issues that arise in this or other sectors.  These initiatives will involve the organisation of, participation in, or support of a wide range of agriculture related events as well as media coverage. The Authority will also engage in a number of targeted promotional campaigns through relevant media.

In 2018 the HSA is also carrying out three focused inspection campaigns each of one-month duration. The first focuses on Livestock Handling and is currently under way. The second campaign on Farm Vehicle Safety will take place in May and the third on Maintenance and Working at a Height will take place in October. As well these specific campaigns other national campaigns related to vehicle and construction safety will have relevance to the farming sector.

In addition to specific farm safety initiatives or inspections visits to farms by inspectors include routine unannounced inspections to monitor compliance with a range health and safety regulations and to investigate farm accidents. In any one year there can be between 60-90 investigations on farms with the rest being unannounced inspections.

The planned target of farm inspections was significantly increased in 2010 from 1,500 per year to 3,000 and its impact assessed over the following 5 year period. However, the increased level of inspection showed no significant reduction in farm deaths.

Since 2014 the HSA has redirected some of its inspection resources toward engaging directly with farmers on other accident prevention initiatives. Research has shown that farmers working in peer to peer groups, such as Knowledge Transfer Groups take on new information, new procedures, and new technology more easily and make more lasting changes in the way they farm when involved with such groups. The objective is to bring about sustainable changes to work practices and controlling risk.

The reduction of farm inspection numbers from a target of 3,000 to 2,000 for 2018 is a planned strategy by the HSA to allow its team of farm inspectors to offer strong support to the Knowledge Transfer Groups. During 2017 HSA inspectors were involved with over 100 such Groups, in addition to farm walks, thereby reaching a further 2,000 farmers through such engagements. The use of Knowledge Transfer Groups will continue in 2018.

In addition, the HSA recently completed a recruitment campaign for 11 inspector posts, 6 of which are field inspection posts and have now been filled. These 6 inspectors will be involved in future farm inspection campaigns thereby helping to ensure that farm inspection targets will be achieved.

Table of Expenditure on Farm Safety Initiatives 2011 to 2017

*Note: Annual figures for expenditure include some cross sectorial initiatives where the expenditure is also relevant to other sectors. As it is not possible to extract this it has been included as the full figure.

** Note: The expenditure figure for farm safety initiatives in 2010 was recorded on a now defunct financial system and is no longer accessible but was similar to expenditure for 2011.

Set out below also is a table showing the breakdown of the annual farm inspection numbers carried out by the HSA from 2010 to date in 2018 (Feb. 13^th).

Farm inspections and investigations 2010 – 2018