Ministers asked to separate farm safety from cross compliance

GOVERNMENT ministers were urged yesterday to resist any attempt to link farm safety to cross compliance, and to reassure farmers this will not happen.

It followed a report that farmers who fail to take legally binding safety actions may lose grants and face prosecutions.

Eleven people have died in farm-related accidents so far this year – the same as in all of 2009.

Irish Farmers Association president John Bryan said cross compliance for the single farm payment must be simplified. He said it must not be made more complicated by additional requirements, as suggested by the Health and Safety Authority (HSA).

He said farmers are very concerned about safety for themselves and their families and such a move will do nothing to improve safety on farms.

“Over the past number of years, the EU Council of Ministers has committed to reducing bureaucracy and simplifying the procedures surrounding qualification for the single farm payment.

“This approach must be reflected in the forthcoming CAP review and the number of cross compliance requirements should be reduced,” he said.

Mr Bryan said health and safety legislation already has strong enforcement procedures with fines for non-compliance.

“Farmers are very aware of health and safety requirements and have made huge strides in abiding by the existing legislation to ensure their farms meet the highest standards,” he said.

Mr Bryan said comments by the HSA suggesting the extension of cross compliance to include farm safety are not helpful, given the significant progress that has been made in recent years.

“The best way to achieve safety on farms is by raising awareness among farm families, and the HSA has a huge role to play in this regard.”

Meanwhile, 130,000 single farm payment scheme applications for 2010 were received at the Department of Agriculture offices in Portlaoise at close of business on Monday, the deadline for submissions.

Almost 43,500 of the applications were submitted online.

The closing date for receipt of amendment forms is May 31.