The Health and Safety Authority is to embark on a two week farm safety inspection campaign, focusing on livestock safety during the calving season.
Inspections on a sample of farms will begin next week.
Last year five people lost their lives on Irish farms in incidents involving livestock and over the last five years there was a total of 18 fatalities in such circumstances.
Now as the busy spring calving period begins, with up to 1.5 million calves to be born, the Health and Safety Authority is embarking on a two week inspection campaign of selected farms with a focus on safe management of livestock.
The authority says farmers have suffered serious or fatal injuries while attending cows at calving time.
Senior Safety Inspector Pat Griffin says cows with newly born calves may perceive people as a threat and attack them, and farmers should review their risks and ensure there are appropriate safety controls in place while managing livestock.
Survey highlights farmer concerns for 2024
A new survey of farmers has shown that input costs, the weather and a lack of labour are among the main concerns in the agricultural sector for 2024.
The survey, carried out by professional services firm IFAC to ascertain farmers' main concerns for this year, also showed a willingness among many farmers to lease out land for solar or wind power projects.
Of the respondents, 66% said input costs remained their biggest concern for 2024, followed by the potential impact of the weather at 52%.
This figure is up 28% compared to 2023, reflecting the bad weather experienced by farmers throughout the year.
Almost a third of farmers said they will not have sufficient staff or labour available to them.
The survey found succession is also a big concern for farmers with 48% saying they have no successor identified, although this figure is down 19% on 2023.
It also found that 50% of farmers have no will in place and one third do not have a pension.
Despite these worries, 46% report a positive outlook for the sector.
With wind and solar farms proliferating across the country, IFAC also assessed farmer interest.
Of the respondents, 41% said they would lease land to a solar or wind project if the opportunity arose.
Nearly half cited concerns about investment and returns as the biggest barrier to considering renewable diversification on farms.
The survey of 1,048 farmers was carried out by IFAC in October and November 2023, with 13% of those surveyed being female and 87% male.
IFAC provides professional service to farmers and agribusinesses in Ireland.
