Membership Benefits

Exclusive Discounts for ICSA Members 

Join ICSA Today

An Association of Farmers for Farmers

ICSA DISMISSES COMMISSIONER HOGAN’S PROPOSED FARM SAFETY PENALTIES

Jan 12, 2017 | Press Releases | 0 comments

11 JANUARY 2017

ICSA president Patrick Kent has described comments made by EU Agriculture Commissioner Hogan on farm safety as “a step in the wrong direction”. Commissioner Hogan had expressed the possibility of including farm safety in cross compliance inspections in an effort to reduce farm fatalities.

Mr Kent said “Farm safety is a very important issue and while we have enormous sympathy for farming families who have suffered loses or injury, we need to address the issue in the wider context of overall health, safety and well-being. Imposing penalties does not advance the cause; it only adds another layer of unnecessary bureaucracy.

The reality is that farming is facing unique challenges in reducing fatalities such as:

  • Thousands of farmers continue active farming into their seventies and eighties as they have no successor and older farmers are more vulnerable to livestock attacks and injuries from falls.
  • The low income levels also result in only 40% of farms being viable. Therefore many thousands of farmers are rushing through farm work outside of normal hours, often in the darkness and are exhausted at the same time.
  • Part-time farming along with Ireland’s unique farming mix with some one million suckler cows means that livestock are highly unpredictable and even with the best facilities the stock can be difficult to manage and handle.
  • Low incomes in farming enterprises means that many farmers are not able to afford to invest in up to date equipment.

ICSA believes that we must continue to strive to reduce accidents but rather than put more pressure on the farmer the goal should be to reduce it. We must also remember that while fatal accidents make all the headlines, there are a far greater number of farm families who suffer greatly from the stress of inspections and penalties combined with low incomes. Mental health issues, such as depression and in some extreme cases, suicide are actually causing more harm to greater numbers of people. Proposals to add to the pressure of inspections and increase penalties will worsen this,” concluded Mr Kent.

ENDS

Share Socially

All

Latest

CONVENING OF NFFSC MUST KICKSTART EMERGENCY RESPONSE TO WEATHER RELATED DIFFICULTIES FACING FARMERS

ICSA president Sean McNamara has said the convening of the National Fodder and Food Security Committee (NFFSC) tomorrow must kick start an emergency response to the ongoing difficulties facing farmers amidst continuing heavy rainfall. “With any hope of an early spring well and truly dashed and any fodder reserves dwindling fast it is clear this committee needs to rapidly reassess the current situation on the ground, including the extent of the fodder shortages and the impact of continued wet weather on farming operations,” he said.

Livestock Prices

Latest