Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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74. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the work his Department is undertaking to ensure adequate farm safety training is provided to farmers in order to help reduce the unacceptably high number of fatal farm accidents each year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41488/20]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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My Department has and continues to undertake a range of initiatives in relation to the provision of farm safety training.  To this end, the Government assigned my ministerial colleague, Martin Heydon, TD. the specific responsibility for Farm Safety within my Department.

As part of the package of new farm safety measures in Budget 2021, €1m in funding has been provided to support ‘locally-led’ farm safety initiatives.  

Further to this, farm safety training will be included as part of the programme that will see over 50,000 farmers access farm safety and biodiversity training. This programme will be of huge benefit and will build on the over 14,600 farmers who have already received farm safety training as part of their applications for support under TAMS.

In addition my Department, in conjunction with the Health and Safety Authority and the Irish Farmers Journal, jointly developed an on-line Tractor Safety Awareness Training course.  The course is aimed primarily at young people who are starting to drive tractors on farms and highlights the daily safety elements that need to be considered.  It can also provide a reminder for experienced operators of the practical application of farm safety in the operation of tractors.  This course was launched in September of this year.