Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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61. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the work his Department is undertaking to promote co-operation on farm safety issues between north and south of the Border in order to enhance the work done on farm safety in each jurisdiction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41489/20]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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My Department has and continues to undertake a wide range of programmes to highlight the importance of farm safety.  My Ministerial colleague, Minister of State, Martin Heydon, has been assigned specific responsibility for farm safety in his portfolio.

In respect of North-South co-operation, my Department is actively involved in the North South Farm Safety Group. The Group comprises of officials from my Department, the Health and Safety Authority, and from Northern Ireland, the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs and the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland.  The group meets on a regular basis with its purpose  being to seek ways in which the respective authorities can work together and share knowledge and information to enhance the collective effort undertaken in each jurisdiction on Farm Safety.

This group has facilitated significant co-operation between both Administrations in relation to work to improve farm safety, with significant sharing of information in relation to both farm safety research programmes and the actions plans of our respective Farm Safety Partnerships. 

It is incumbent of everyone in the sector to make farming a safer profession.