Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) president, France Gorman has called for plans by the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) for a farm inspection blitz to be “halted”.
The HSA announced the nationwide blitz, which will commence over the coming weeks, as part of the new farm safety awareness campaign, supported by the HSA and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).
The aim of the campaign is to promote farm safety practices and behavioural change when operating farm vehicles and machinery.
It includes installments on safety around cows at calving, farm machinery, working at heights and farmer health and wellbeing.
“We need all planned inspections to be suspended in the context of the deplorable weather conditions on farms. Now we have the HSA announcing a ‘blitz’ of additional farm inspections,” Gorman said.
The IFA president said that farmers are already facing “enormous challenges” with wet weather conditions.
Gorman said that he spoke to Minister of State at DAFM, Minister Heydon after he launched the campaign yesterday (Tuesday, April 2) and “made it clear that these inspections cannot proceed”.
He described the inspection blitz as “counterproductive” for the health and safety on farms and for farmer welfare.
“The pressure on farmers is unprecedented, with terrible weather forecast for the next week,” Gorman said.
He called for the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue to convene another meeting of the fodder group this week, and for the minister to attend himself.
Met Éireann has said that last month was among the wettest Marches on record with some areas reporting rainfall over 200% above normal levels.
The highest monthly rainfall total of 239.8mm was recorded at Valentia Observatory, Co. Kerry (194% of its LTA), which was the station’s wettest March since 1963.