Deaths on farms reach 15 for 2010 compared with 11 for 2009

FIFTEEN people have died as a result of accidents on farms so far this year compared with 11 for the whole of 2009.

More than half of these fatalities occurred in counties Cork, Kerry and Clare, with the remainder mainly in midland counties and counties on the east coast.

Agriculture Minister Brendan Smith, replying last week to a Dáil question by Waterford Fianna Fáil TD Brendan Kenneally, said that he was deeply concerned with the level of safety on the country’s farms.