Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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260. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if driver training for all terrain vehicles will be made mandatory (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28722/24]

Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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Regulation 619/2021 came into effect on 20 November 2023. These Regulations govern the safe use of All Terrain Vehicles (ATV)/Quad Bikes in all workplaces and require that ATV operators undertake training with a registered training provider to a Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) standard or equivalent.

With respect to on-farm work activity and training, the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 states that all employers must provide information, instruction, training and supervision necessary to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the safety, health, and welfare at work of his or her employees.

The Health and Safety Authority’s Code of Practice (CoP) for preventing injury and occupational ill health in agriculture ( ) states children under 14 should not be allowed to drive or operate tractors or machinery. Children over 14 should be allowed to operate tractors only after they have received formal training. The CoP refers to the Safe Tractor Driving Skills Programme which has been designed to develop the safety skills of 14 to16 year-olds in relation to tractor driving. The course covers both theory and practice relating to tractor handling for on-farm use only. The course is available from a number of training providers.

Further information on farm vehicle, ATV and machinery safety, including an array of video material, is available on the HSA’s website hsa.ie.

The HSA has also prepared a short awareness raising course on An Introduction to Tractor Safety; in 2023, 1,924 courses were taken.

The operation of tractors or machinery on the public road is primarily a matter for An Garda Síochána and the Road Safety Authority