A young child has died following a farm accident in the Goleen area of West Cork earlier today, the fifth farm death in 2015.

The child was airlifted to Cork University Hospital by the Coastguard helicopter based at Shannon.

It is understood the two year old suffered serious injuries when it was struck by part the dividing part of a horse box.

This brings to five the number of farm deaths on Irish farms this year.

A man died in January when a tractor rolled down a bank and crushed victim against the end of the shed in Kilkenny.

Another farmer died in January when he was feeding cattle and his tractor rolled back, pinning him under the rear wheel in Kerry.

The other victim was found trapped in the opening of a 600L tank which was part of the milk cleaning system, in Wexford. He was 42.

A man in his 60s also died following a fall while repairing the roof of a hay barn.

The HSA will be carrying out an investigation into the latest farm death to occur.

The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) is reducing the number of farm inspections it will carry out to 2,300 in 2015, despite the sector having an 87% increase in farm deaths in 2014 with farm deaths accounting for 55% of all work-related deaths.

This is a reduction in farm inspections of 20% for 2015.