Farm safety lapses could result in grant cuts

Farmers have again been warned they may lose EU grants if the number of farm deaths does not improve.

The warning came from former Minister for the Environment and current EU Agriculture Commissioner, Phil Hogan.

It follows the first farm death this year in Kilkenny yesterday, after last year saw the highest number of agricultural deaths for more than two decades, with 30 people killed.

Johnny Ryan, the father of Kilkenny hurling captain Lester Ryan, was killed in an accident at his farm in Clara yesterday morning.

In a statement today, Phil Hogan said cutting EU grants is not a plan for the immediate future, but he believes the current situation is not sustainable, and that level of response may become necessary.

"I don't think that a penalty like that will work - a lot of these accidents, you can't legislate for them," said Deputy President of the Irish Farmers Association, Tim O'Leary, who believes cutting grants would be ineffective.

"How do you legislate for a child getting away, a back door left open? It has to be about awareness. How do you penalise somebody for something like that? You can't. It doesn’t work like that."

The Health and Safety Authority also insists that farm safety is a priority, despite the number of inspections dropping by nearly a quarter over two years. It said its commitment "remains undiminished" and it has committed significant funds to the area.