The Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue and the Minister of State for Farm Safety Martin Heydon are urging farmers to prioritise safety during the ongoing cold weather spell.
They emphasise the importance of personal safety while caring for livestock, encouraging farmers to plan ahead, manage workloads, and assess risks. Key advice includes ensuring livestock have adequate feed, water, and shelter, and carrying out tasks like herding during daylight hours. Jer O'Mahony of Wexford IFA is echoing the call for greater safety for farmers during the cold snap: "This is going to lead to a number of issues, even one I had myself this morning, giving water to animals. So really what we're saying to people is whatever you're doing, wherever you are on the farm, or trying to find leaks or whatever else on the farm - take absolute care. If you're walking on cement yards, walking where there's water standing, it's going to be extremely dangerous. Make sure that you look around and keep an eye on your environment because things can happen very, very simply."
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