Latest news with #JohnJoeFitzgerald
Agriland
20 hours ago
- General
- Agriland
Watch: Farm Safe, Farm Well - getting up to speed on quad safety
In the second instalment of Agriland Media's series, Farm Safe, Farm Well, we explore the safe use of quad bikes on farms. The Farm Safe Farm Well series, produced by Agriland Media in conjunction with AXA Insurance, is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM). Over the coming months, the series, which includes articles, videos and podcasts, will focus on different themes related to farm safety and wellbeing. The use of quad bikes and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) has become increasingly common on farms across Ireland. However, there has been a significant number of farm fatalities and serious injuries involving quads. For many, including Kerry hill sheep farmer John Joe Fitzgerald, a quad is an essential piece of equipment. The vice-president of the Irish Natura and Hill Farmers' Association (INHFA) told Agriland about an accident he had with a quad around 12 years ago. Fitzgerald said he borrowed his neighbour's new quad as he was planning to do fencing on some leased ground on the hills. The farmer, who had never ridden a quad previously, loaded the vehicle with stakes and fencing wire before setting out. As he was going over a bank near the top of the hill, he felt the back of the quad sink into the ground before it flipped backwards and landed on top of his hip. "I was shocked, it took me five minutes trying to get out from underneath the quad bike. I was more worried about the quad than myself. "I sat down on the ground for about five or 10 minutes afterwards just to gather myself and just to realise what had happened," he said. The farmer said a loose bundle of wire he had placed on the front of the quad had saved him from a more serious injury. Fitzgerald said it took him nearly two hours to come down off the hill as he was "petrified". "I have never been in an accident like that before and it happened within a couple of seconds," he said. John Joe Fitzgearld riding his quad on his farm The farmer, who was not wearing a helmet at the time, said he was "naive" about the dangers of quad, adding the incident was "a wake-up call" for him. When he bought his own quad over four years ago, Fitzgerald purchased a helmet which he always wears while using the vehicle. He has also completed a certified safety training course for quad users. According to the Health and Safety Authority (HSA), the underlying causes of quad accidents are usually one or more of the following: Lack of formal operator training and/or experience; Incorrect/lack of appropriate head protection; Excessive speed; Age of the operator; Carrying a passenger on a quad bike; Unbalanced loads or overloading; Tipping on a bank, ditch, rut or bump; Loss of control on a steep slope combined with other factors such as ground or load conditions; Towing excessive loads with un-braked equipment; Poor vehicle maintenance. Quads commonly used in Ireland are intended for use by a rider aged 16 or older. "Physical fitness and agility is required for active riding, potentially making quad bikes unsuitable for physically unfit or elderly riders," the authority said. A passenger should not be carried on a quad, the long seat is designed to allow operators shift their weight for different slope conditions. New regulations governing the safe use of ATV and quad bikes in all workplaces came into effect in November 2023. The regulations state that training must be undertaken by users of these vehicles with a registered trainer to a Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) standard or equivalent. Those riding a quad are also required to wear a helmet of a prescribed standard, which will depend on the circumstances in which the vehicle will be used. All helmets should have a chinstrap and be capable of being used with suitable eye protection. As off-road riding can be hard on a quad, regular maintenance, carried out according to the manufacturer's recommendations, is essential. Make sure to regularly check the condition of the tyres, pressure gauge; brakes and throttle. When selecting routes, the HSA said users should consider changes to the surface due to weather conditions and be mindful of any effects of loads being carried. "Check the weight ratio between your quad and its trailed load. This needs to be assessed for each operation. "These loads should be reduced when working on slopes, uneven ground or poor surface conditions," the authority said. For more information on the safe use of quad bikes you can check out the HSA website by clicking here.
RTÉ News
02-07-2025
- Politics
- RTÉ News
Farmers call for changes to protect livestock from dog attacks
Farming organisations have called for measures including DNA testing, disqualification from dog ownership, and a ban on non-working dogs on hills and farmland to help protect livestock from dog attacks. Addressing the Oireachtas Agriculture Committee, Vice President of the Irish Natura and Hill Farmers' Association (INHFA) John Joe Fitzgerald said the level of dog attacks on livestock has reached "crisis point". Mr Fitzgerald said INHFA members have reported "increasing levels of concern and complaints from farmers with regard to recreational walkers bringing their dogs onto farmlands [including our hills] and when asked to remove them, they become highly abusive and threatening, which in some instances has led to physical violence". He said a Government-funded national database should be established to collate "all information on dogs, including dog licence, microchipping and DNA samples from each dog". 'Roaming patrols' The INHFA also wants to see "roaming patrols" to monitor any loose dogs on hills or near farmland. Also addressing the committee, Sheep Chair of the Irish Farmers' Association Adrian Gallagher said dog owners who fail to keep their pets under control should be disqualified from dog ownership. He said the option exists for the courts to disbar ownership of protected animals if there is a failure to comply with welfare obligations in the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013. "Given the devastation caused by an increasing number of dog attacks on sheep in particular, zero tolerance has to be the policy. The Animal Health and Welfare Act sanctions should be extended to irresponsible dog owners who allow their pets cause this devastation on farms." Mr Gallagher said the decision to have the Department of Agriculture as the single enforcement authority "is a move in the right direction, but we should have seen this happen long before now". According to the IFA, in 2023 reporting of livestock-worrying incidents rose to 276, a 3% increase on 2022, adding that "many more go unreported". Enforcement 'severely limited' The organisation said enforcement remains "severely limited", with only 80 wardens on the ground throughout the country. Meanwhile, Sheep Chair of the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association (ICSA) Willie Shaw told the Agriculture Committee "we've plenty of sheep farmers leaving the industry. We don't need to give them another reason to leave". Mr Shaw also pointed out that just "ten percent of dog attacks on livestock are kills" with sheep worrying a huge issue. He said "DNA testing wouldn't help with this". An example of such a case was mentioned by the INHFA, which said a couple of years ago "a hundred ewes and lambs in Kerry were driven off the edge of a cliff by a dog". Attacks 'detrimental' to livestock welfare Chairperson of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association's (ICMSA) Livestock Committee Michael O'Connell said the effect dog attacks and sheep worrying have on flocks and herds "is very detrimental to the health and welfare of these livestock". "We have seen firsthand from members of the immediate damages in terms of dead and injured sheep, but the long-term effects are equally devastating. "These include physical injuries such as severe bites and lacerations, which may result in death or future physical trauma as well as disabilities to mobility." The ICSMA recommended a 'Dog Control Awareness' programme be launched similar to that originally launched in 2024. Mr O'Connell said dogs "have the potential to cause death, serious injury, serious stress and anxiety to livestock, which the dog may deem to be playing. "Dogs are not responsible for their actions; it is their owners' responsibility to keep them under control. "If the awareness is aimed towards the owners, with emphasis on the damage dogs can do to sheep flocks or cattle herds, it may not be long before there is an improvement to what is a growing problem."
