Speech by Mr. Tom Kitt, T.D., Minister for Labour, Trade and Consumer Affairs at the Presentation of Prizes for the Schools Farm Safety Competition on Friday 13th October, 2000, at Dublin Zoo

I am delighted to be here today to present the prizes in the Schools Farm Safety Competition organised by the Health and Safety Authority.

The purpose of this competition is to raise awareness of health and safety issues in farming. The date chosen is very apt, as Friday the 13th is a date traditionally associated with all kinds of mishaps, and the focus of this competition is on the prevention of accidents on farms.

There is a real need to raise awareness among children of the dangers on farms. Simply put, an Irish farm is one of the most dangerous workplaces in the country. They are, with the very rare exception, the only workplace in the country where children regularly lose their lives. In the past five years (1995-1999 inclusive) 106 people lost their lives on Irish farms. Of these 106 people, 79 were adults and 27 were children. These statistics speak for themselves and they are truly frightening.

It appears that many farmers don’t see themselves or their family as being at risk of accidents. The "accidents only happen to other people" syndrome that only confirms the need for initiatives such as this one.

The Health & Safety Authority is currently working on the development of a comprehensive Code of Practice on Child Safety on the Farm in conjunction with farming sector interests. These projects give us all hope for a future where safety at work will form part of everybody’s mindset.

I would like to thank all the teachers and parents who have put in so much time and effort in helping the Authority to raise awareness of the hazards in a way that I am sure was interesting, challenging and enjoyable for the children.

The CD Rom of photographs which was sent with one of the projects provides an indication of the amount of work that went into the task. I would urge you all to keep up the good work by encouraging children to think more about their safety. They are the workers of the future and many of the attitudes they develop now will last a long time.

Without further ado then, I would like to compliment all of the prizewinners on their work, which is of a very high standard and vividly highlights the dangers that can exist on farms. I know artist Don Conroy had a very difficult job to do in selecting a winner, and I can see why when I look at all the other entries which are displayed here! But I can see how his final decision is justified by the obvious creativity and talent displayed in the two winning collages.

I will now present the prizes to the teachers of the two winning classes:First Class: Rylane National School, Rylane, Co. Cork (17 pupils)Teacher’s Name: Máire Ní ChathasaighSecond Class: Scoil Náisiúnta Muire na nGael, Bay Estate, Dundalk, Co. Louth (33 pupils)Teacher’s Name: Martina RaffertyThank you.