DEAR SIR: I think that the Farm Safety Week is a great initiative that should continue on a more regular basis, to advise and highlight the importance of farm safety. Our appalling record of farming-related accidents can only be corrected by basic safety principles being enforced and adhered to, like other industries.

I ask – why are tractors exempt from an annual MOT test? Why can a 16 year old who passes a theory test be allowed drive a tractor at 50km/h with a 20t load behind on our public roads?

Surely the correction of these two very serious and dangerous situations should be the first steps in improving farm safety.

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I welcome the new Minister of State with responsibility for farm safety, Martin Heydon TD, but suggest he should lead by example and not drive a defective tractor as he did on TV recently, driving a tractor with a missing rear view mirror while promoting Farm Safety Week.