Doyle calls for farm safety module in rural schools

Fine Gael TD for Wicklow/East Carlow and Chairman of the Oireachtas Agriculture Committee, Andrew Doyle, has today called for improved farm safety awareness for our children and has called on the Minister for Education, Jan O’Sullivan to consider introducing a farm safety module on the primary school curriculum for primary schools. 

“The issue of child safety on farms is something which I also believe to be of particular importance. Farms can be a treacherous place with slurry tanks, silage pits and livestock pose a great danger for children on farms. It is important that awareness continues to be raised in this regard and I believe that we need to look very seriously at introducing a farm safety module in rural primary schools.

“Not all rural children live on farms but they are likely to visit the farms of their friends and relatives and need to be aware of the dangers presented by being on the farm.

“As somebody who lives on a farm, I am fully aware of the risks involved with farming and working on the land. Approximately 2,000 injuries occur on Irish farms annually. This represents over twice the EU average so it is clear that we have a huge amount of work to do in this area.

“The sad reality is that many of the accidents that occur on farms are preventable. Many of these injuries are sustained from accidents involving machinery and livestock. Often, accidents involve people who have been farming all their lives and there can be complacency in how they approach handling their livestock and machinery. It is important to stress that the temperament of animals can often change suddenly and without warning, and this can result in tragedy.”