The government has launched its ‘Be Winter Ready’ 2021-2022 information campaign, which this year focuses on farm safety.
The campaign was jointly-launched by Minister Simon Coveney, Minister of State at the Department of Transport Hildegarde Naughton and Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture Martin Heydon.
The ‘Be Winter Ready’ campaign, which is in its 11th year, is intended to raise awareness about the particular challenges that winter can present.
This year’s campaign is focused on ‘Staying Safe on the Farm over Winter’.
The Office of Emergency Planning, in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture, has designed and produced a leaflet on farm safety.
Be Winter Ready
Minister of State Heydon said that farm safety “must be to the fore of everything we do on farms”.
“There are particular issues that can arise in the winter months with storms and the housing of livestock,” he said.
“Now is the time for farmers to plan to ensure they can farm safely this winter.
“Around the farmyard, any maintenance work on buildings or machinery should be completed before the winter sets in and as the evenings get shorter, farmers should consider their health and well-being as well.”
Speaking today, Minister Coveney added that this campaign “marks the start of what can be a very demanding time for many people, including the emergency services”.
“As the chair of the government Task Force on Emergency Planning, I am aware of the importance of all the government departments and agencies coming together, building our resilience, keeping the public informed and ensuring the country is winter ready,” he said.