Farmers passing on the reins to the next generation is a key element to improving safety on farms, Minister of State with responsibility for farm safety Martin Heydon has said.

Speaking at Tullamore Show, Minister Heydon said challenges in the area of farm succession are affecting farm safety.

“People continuously ask me, why do we have so many farmers in their 70s losing their lives? It’s because we have so many farmers in their 70s. Any other work place, people are retired.

“We want farmers who want to continue to farm to be able to do so, but they have a knowledge, they have the ability to do so. We have to have a better partnership approach that people don’t have to continue to farm until 80 and over it.

“If they want to, fine, in a partnership system. However, we have to be really conscious that the next generation not coming on is a big impediment to us and there’s a farm safety element to it,” he added.

Children on farm

At the Farm Safety Live demonstration at the show, the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) said five farm fatalities have been recorded so far this year.

Minister Heydon said extra vigilance is needed on farm while children are still off school for the summer holidays.

“We still have five [farm fatalities] this year and it’s five too many. We’re in the most dangerous time of the year when kids are off school and they are at home on the farm.

“You don’t want to lock children away from that, it’s a very special thing growing up on the farm, but you have to be smart, you have to be safety conscious.

“We do need a dedicated space on the farm that is safe for kids to play in and a space that they know is not safe and that we always know when they enter the farming area.

“It’s really hard, because the home place tends to be in the middle of the farmyard, but you have to have parameters to keep kids away.

“It is the most heartbreaking thing when you deal with Embrace Farm and others when someone has lost a child. It’s the worst scenario,” Minister Heydon added.