Hopkins welcomes national farm safety scheme launched by Minister Coveney in Curraghboy, Roscommon

Fine Gael candidate for the Roscommon/South Leitrim bye-election, Cllr Maura Hopkins has warmly welcomed the introduction of a new funding scheme to help farmers around the country upgrade the standard of safety on their farms.

The scheme was announced yesterday (Monday) by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney on the Curraghboy farm of Peadar Kelly in South Roscommon.

Cllr Hopkins said: “It is extraordinary to think that farming represents about 6% of the workforce, yet about half of the people who die each year in the workplace come from agriculture.

“Up to twenty lives have already been lost on Irish farms this year and this grant-aid programme will allow farmers to invest in practical things; everything from guard rails around slurry pits, rewiring existing farm buildings to replacing slats that are broken and managing the agitation of slurry more effectively.

“I understand that funding plans are almost finalised to provide grant-aid of 40 per cent up to a maximum eligible investment ceiling of €20,000, i.e. a maximum grant of €8,000.

“For those who want to apply for funding, the details are scheduled to be up on the Department website by the end of this month while the closing date for receipt of applications will be in early January.”

*Among those in attendance at the launch in Curraghboy yesterday were Martin O’Halloran, CEO, Health and Safety Authority; Frank Feighan, Roscommon/South Leitrim Fine Gael TD; John Hanley, Roscommon IFA Chairperson; Michael Spellman, Chairman of the National Marts Committee of ICOS; Fine Gael Cllr John Naughten; members of Macra na Feirme and Brian Rohan of Embrace, an organisation supporting families after the loss of a loved one from a farming accident.