200 farm fatalities since 2011 a reminder of job’s risks, says campaigning priest

After a report on workplace deaths from 2011-2020 showed that 40% took place on farms, Fr Paddy Byrne urged farmers to be “cautious and careful” during the harvest season.

Fr Byrne, who leads an annual prayer service to commemorate farm deaths, said that deaths on farms are “unfortunately much too frequent in Ireland”.

“There is greater awareness of this now,” he said. “Particularly in the season of harvest, I would urge people to be cautious and careful.

“Farming is a necessary business, but it carries its huge challenges.”

The report also shows that a majority of deaths involve people aged 65 and over. Fr Byrne said this highlights the fact that retirement is a “relatively new thing” for farmers.

Meanwhile, Norma Rohan of Embrace Farm, a support network for those affected by farming accidents, said this is a reminder that “farming is the most dangerous occupation in this country”.

“A farmer is everything in one,” she said. “They’re the financial person, the business person, they’re doing everything.

“It’s an isolated job, the machinery has gotten huge – there are many factors.”

Advances have been made, Ms Rohan said, especially in the appointment of a dedicated minister, highlighting the new focus on the welfare of farmers.