Farm safety: Children have 'potential to change cultures and behaviours'
Alma Jordan, founder of AgriKids, a farm safety educational platform for children created to "engage, educate and empower children to be farm safety ambassadors", told politicians this week that children can be key in creating a "sustainably safer future on our farms".
The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture and Food held a discussion on farm safety, with representatives including from AgriKids, Embrace FARM and FBD Insurance.
Alma Jordan said that 80,000 children have engaged with the AgriKids programme and said that they are "passionate learners, passionate about farming, and passionate to share their learnings at home and in their community".
"We speak about this need to break the culture, change behaviours, denormalise attitudes to risk-taking - they can help us," Jordan said.
"I have had children as young as four reminding parents to lock chemical sheds, leave the area when agitating slurry; a 12-year-old asking how much a PTO (power take-off) cover was so she could buy her dad one with her confirmation money."
She told the committee that children have the "absolute capacity" to influence for the better and "create this much-needed change".
Jordan is urging people to stop sharing "vanity over sanity" imagery and videos of children on farms.
"This topic needs common sense but also compassion and compromise. We need to work with farmers, listen to them," she said.
"Understand the uniqueness of a farm as both a workplace and a home, what are the challenges that are getting in the way, and find a work around."
Minister of State for farm safety, Michael Healy-Rae, recently announced that the Department of Agriculture is seeking proposals for projects which promote children's and young person's safety awareness on farms for the next five years.
The department is providing funding of €200,000 from its dedicated farm safety budget for 2025, with an option to extend the contract for a further four years.
The initiatives must be delivered by November 2025.
Alma Jordan, welcoming the recent call, told the committee however that asking for school farm safety initiatives to be conducted in what would be considered the "off-season" for this topic - between September and November - is "not at all an ideal or sound investment for these funds".
"Pre-Christmas is simply the wrong time of year for farm-themed lessons and will be difficult to get optioned when competing with back to school, Christmas activities, and mid-term breaks.
"So we do respectfully request a consideration be given to times of the year for any such upcoming funding opportunities," she said.
She recommended that spring and summer is a better time of year for these projects.
Embrace FARM co-founder Norma Rohan has said that farm safety "must be more than just physical safety".
"A tragedy on the farm doesn't just affect an individual - it sends shockwaves through the family, the business, and the entire rural community.
"Farm safety must be more than just physical safety. It must also embrace emotional, mental, and relational wellbeing.
"From the stories we hear daily, it's clear: a silent pandemic of grief, trauma, and isolation leading to mental health difficulties is sweeping through our rural communities."
Rohan told the committee that not just farmers, but contractors, processors, agri-food businesses, policymakers and more in the agri-food chain must all play a part in farm safety and wellbeing - so that it is a shared responsibility and "does not rest solely on the shoulders of farmers".
FBD Insurance representatives told the committee that its own claims' experience is closely in line with published statistics around farm accidents.
The most common and serious accidents involve farm machinery, farm vehicles, falls, livestock, and slurry.
A number of the Oireachtas committee members highlighted the dangers of farm vehicles, and the risks involved with children operating them.
Alma Jordan has called for competency-based testing for children before they can legally drive a tractor.
Tractor and machinery use accounted for almost half of all farm-related deaths in the 10-year period from 2015 to 2024 with 79 people killed, 12 of whom were children, according to the Health and Safety Authority.
Kate Tobin, chief financial officer of FBD, told the committee that around 10 years ago, "we saw some very high levels of accidents and high claims experience".
"We would have been seeing about 1,000 accidents a year, we've seen that reduce now to in the region of 800," Tobin said.
"That's still quite high, but we have certainly seen a reduction over time."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sunday World
2 days ago
- Sunday World
Sinn Féin appoints new councillor who had told cops he'd ‘shoot them with machine-gun'
Ruaídhrí Lyttle stepped down and apologised back in 2023 after disturbing comments he made during a drunken rant at the police resurfaced Sinn Féin has appointed a new councillor who pulled out of the last election after it emerged he'd been to court for telling cops he'd 'shoot them with a machine-gun', it has emerged. Ruaídhrí Lyttle stepped down and apologised back in 2023 after disturbing comments he made during a drunken rant at the police resurfaced. West Tyrone Sinn Féin MP Órfhlaith Begley announced on Friday night that 30-year-old Lyttle was being co-opted onto Fermanagh and Omagh District Council to represent the Gortin and Killyclogher area of Mid-Tyrone. She wrote: 'Delighted to welcome our new councillor Ruaídhrí Lytlle [sic] for the Gortin and Killyclogher area of Mid Tyrone. 'I also want to thank our outgoing councillor Anne Marie Fitzgerald for her many years of commitment and service. 'During her 18 years as a councillor, Anne Marie has been a first-class representative and a tireless worker on behalf of the community she has represented.' And Lyttle himself said: 'This evening, I am taking the opportunity to announce my co-option as the Sinn Féin cllr for Mid Tyrone in place of Anne Marie Fitzgerald, who has offered her resignation after serving the local community with distinction for over 18 years. 'I would like to acknowledge the dedication, hard work and commitment to this role that Anne Marie has given for the last 18 years. I am determined to serve in this role as cllr for Mid Tyrone in the same manner. 'I am determined to bring the same energy and commitment to this role as Anne Marie has. I am determined to campaign tirelessly for local people on local issues. I look forward to the challenges ahead and to representing you all.' Despite a chequered past, Lyttle is highly regarded in Sinn Féin and is known for working hard on the ground on a number of issues. And despite his misdemeanours, his announcement has been widely welcomed among nationalists in Tyrone. In April 2023 in the run-up to the local council elections we revealed (right) how Lyttle, who had been standing for the republican party in the Mid-Tyrone area, had been involved in an embarrassing incident six years ago which resulted in him being brought to court. In response, Lyttle told the Sunday World he didn't want the issue to become a 'distraction' for his 'party colleagues' and he had decided to step down. We had revealed that Lyttle, who lives in Omagh, was convicted of disorderly behaviour on a boozy night out in the County Tyrone town two days before Christmas in 2017. And things took a decidedly nasty turn when Lyttle, who was 23 at the time, approached police officers and started to shout abuse at them, including telling them he would 'shoot them with a machine-gun'. Police in Omagh are particularly sensitive to such threats — however unlikely they are to be carried out—– given that dissident republicans murdered PC Ronan Kerr in Omagh in 2011. Lyttle announced his plan to stand for election six days after DCI John Caldwell survived a murder bid at the hands of two dissident republican gunmen in February and he was hoping to be elected to represent the Killyclogher and Gortin areas — to which is now being co-opted. In a statement at the time he told the Sunday World: 'I apologised in court a number of years ago for my behaviour and accept fully that my actions were wrong. 'My role in this incident remains a matter of deep regret. I don't want this issue to become a distraction for my party colleagues and in light of this, I have reconsidered my position. 'I have decided to withdraw my name from standing in this year's local government elections.' Sources who know Lyttle told us they were 'surprised' he jumped so quickly. 'I'm very surprised he's decided to drop out over this,' said one source. 'It was obviously an embarrassing incident but it was six years ago and he has apologised. 'Ruaídhrí would have been a good council rep but he obviously had a past and he'd been done for being disorderly a few times so maybe he was worried about the details of all of those coming out.' Lyttle was arrested and brought before District Judge Bernie Kelly, who told him he couldn't blame alcohol for his shocking outburst, his behaviour had been 'despicable' and that he had exposed 'the true Ruaídhrí Lyttle'. He was fined £100 for the drunken outburst. But Omagh Magistrates Court was told in 2017 Lyttle had two previous cautions for disorderly behaviour. His solicitor told the court Lyttle had consumed 'a lot of alcohol' and clearly hadn't learned his lesson from the previous cautions'. Judge Kelly was less than impressed with Lyttle's behaviour, saying: 'I genuinely never know where to start with someone like you. 'You were three years old when the Good Friday Agreement was signed. How much personal experience do you have of the Troubles?' A sheepish Lyttle replied a simple 'none', to which the judge asked: 'So what gives you the right to make such comments about police officers?' Shame-faced Lyttle replied: 'I don't have any.' But Judge Kelly wasn't finished with Lyttle. She added: 'Alcohol does not turn you from Doctor Jekyll to Mr Hyde. If it was not in you it would not come out. Alcohol pulls down the facades. 'That was the true Ruaídhrí Lyttle we saw that night. It was despicable behaviour. I promise you there will be an entirely different outcome if I see you again.'
Irish Times
5 days ago
- Irish Times
Jordan and Egypt condemn Israeli plan to take over entire Gaza Strip
Jordan and Egypt , the two Arab countries that have made peace with Israel , have condemned prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu 's plan to take over the entire Gaza Strip , impose Israeli control, displace a million Palestinians and hand it over to Arab forces independent of Hamas and the Palestinian Authority. A Jordanian official told Reuters Arab nations 'will only support what Palestinians agree and decide on. Security in Gaza must be done through legitimate Palestinian institutions.' The source said Arab states 'will not agree to Netanyahu's policies nor clean his mess'. Egypt warned that an Israeli takeover of all of Gaza could lead to the execution by Hamas of the 20 Israeli hostages who remain alive. According to Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar, an Egyptian diplomat said Hamas and other factions 'have orders to 'neutralise' them if their captors come under siege and are unable to escape alive'. The report said senior Egyptian officials have demanded an urgent return to ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas. Egyptian president Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi has called for direct talks on the crisis with US president Donald Trump. READ MORE He has said Israel's actions are 'up to Israel', granting Mr Netanyahu a green light to carry out his plan. Earlier this week, Mr Trump told reporters that any Israeli plan to reoccupy Gaza was 'pretty much up to Israel'. Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas called the policy a 'flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and UN resolutions' and urged the United Nations Security Council, Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation to take immediate action against Israel. He thanked Mr Sisi and Jordan's King Abdullah for their support. [ What is behind Israel's plan to take control of Gaza City? Opens in new window ] Hamas said Mr Netanyahu's 'plans to expand the aggression confirm beyond any doubt that he seeks to get rid of [Israeli] captives and sacrifice them'. Hamas warned that any administration formed to govern Gaza would be treated as 'an 'occupying' force linked to Israel'. It stated: 'Netanyahu's plan is to continue his policy of genocide and displacement by committing more crimes against our Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.' Hamas called for Arab, Muslim and international intervention. United Nations assistant secretary general Miroslav Jenča called Israel's plan 'deeply alarming' and warned the security council this 'would risk catastrophic consequences'. Gaza City, al-Mawasi on the coast and Khan Younis town have more than a million displaced Palestinians as well as permanent residents who would have no place to go if Israel attacked and occupied this area, which comprises the last 25 per cent of Gaza not fully occupied by Israel. [ 'A death sentence to all hostages': Israel plan to take control of Gaza City met with dismay Opens in new window ] Israel withdrew its settlers and soldiers from Gaza in 2005, but legal experts have said it remained occupied as Israel continued to control Gaza by land, sea and air. Following the October 7th, 2023, attack on Israel in which Hamas killed 1,200 people and abducted 250, Israel launched a full-scale ground offensive and seized 75 per cent of Gaza, killing more than 60,000 people and displacing 1.9 million Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities.
Agriland
02-08-2025
- Agriland
Farm safety: Children have 'potential to change cultures and behaviours'
The "influence" children can have in changing "cultures and behaviours" around farm safety and risks "cannot be underrated". Alma Jordan, founder of AgriKids, a farm safety educational platform for children created to "engage, educate and empower children to be farm safety ambassadors", told politicians this week that children can be key in creating a "sustainably safer future on our farms". The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture and Food held a discussion on farm safety, with representatives including from AgriKids, Embrace FARM and FBD Insurance. Alma Jordan said that 80,000 children have engaged with the AgriKids programme and said that they are "passionate learners, passionate about farming, and passionate to share their learnings at home and in their community". "We speak about this need to break the culture, change behaviours, denormalise attitudes to risk-taking - they can help us," Jordan said. "I have had children as young as four reminding parents to lock chemical sheds, leave the area when agitating slurry; a 12-year-old asking how much a PTO (power take-off) cover was so she could buy her dad one with her confirmation money." She told the committee that children have the "absolute capacity" to influence for the better and "create this much-needed change". Jordan is urging people to stop sharing "vanity over sanity" imagery and videos of children on farms. "This topic needs common sense but also compassion and compromise. We need to work with farmers, listen to them," she said. "Understand the uniqueness of a farm as both a workplace and a home, what are the challenges that are getting in the way, and find a work around." Minister of State for farm safety, Michael Healy-Rae, recently announced that the Department of Agriculture is seeking proposals for projects which promote children's and young person's safety awareness on farms for the next five years. The department is providing funding of €200,000 from its dedicated farm safety budget for 2025, with an option to extend the contract for a further four years. The initiatives must be delivered by November 2025. Alma Jordan, welcoming the recent call, told the committee however that asking for school farm safety initiatives to be conducted in what would be considered the "off-season" for this topic - between September and November - is "not at all an ideal or sound investment for these funds". "Pre-Christmas is simply the wrong time of year for farm-themed lessons and will be difficult to get optioned when competing with back to school, Christmas activities, and mid-term breaks. "So we do respectfully request a consideration be given to times of the year for any such upcoming funding opportunities," she said. She recommended that spring and summer is a better time of year for these projects. Embrace FARM co-founder Norma Rohan has said that farm safety "must be more than just physical safety". "A tragedy on the farm doesn't just affect an individual - it sends shockwaves through the family, the business, and the entire rural community. "Farm safety must be more than just physical safety. It must also embrace emotional, mental, and relational wellbeing. "From the stories we hear daily, it's clear: a silent pandemic of grief, trauma, and isolation leading to mental health difficulties is sweeping through our rural communities." Rohan told the committee that not just farmers, but contractors, processors, agri-food businesses, policymakers and more in the agri-food chain must all play a part in farm safety and wellbeing - so that it is a shared responsibility and "does not rest solely on the shoulders of farmers". FBD Insurance representatives told the committee that its own claims' experience is closely in line with published statistics around farm accidents. The most common and serious accidents involve farm machinery, farm vehicles, falls, livestock, and slurry. A number of the Oireachtas committee members highlighted the dangers of farm vehicles, and the risks involved with children operating them. Alma Jordan has called for competency-based testing for children before they can legally drive a tractor. Tractor and machinery use accounted for almost half of all farm-related deaths in the 10-year period from 2015 to 2024 with 79 people killed, 12 of whom were children, according to the Health and Safety Authority. Kate Tobin, chief financial officer of FBD, told the committee that around 10 years ago, "we saw some very high levels of accidents and high claims experience". "We would have been seeing about 1,000 accidents a year, we've seen that reduce now to in the region of 800," Tobin said. "That's still quite high, but we have certainly seen a reduction over time."
