I took a trip down memory lane lately when watching an episode of Vets on Call, that aired back on RTÉ in the early 2000s. While the nostalgia is great, the one thing that shocked me was the poor handling facilities that vets (and farmers) faced in treating and handling animals on a daily basis.

Back then, the vets talked about how cattle were becoming less tame due to slatted sheds and infrequent handling. Broken bones and bruises were part of the job. Is it any wonder a lot of older vets are in poor shape now, after the physical toll through the years.

Thankfully, things have improved for the most part, and we have seen major investment by farmers in improving animal-handling facilities on farms. With all the giving out that is done about grant schemes for infrastructure, TAMS has been a major player in this improvement on farms. But there is still much to do to further increase farm safety.

Striking statistic

It’s shocking that 23 deaths (provisional) of the 58 recorded in work places in Ireland last year were attributed to the agricultural sector. That’s 40% of all deaths, despite agriculture directly employing only 4% of our workforce. The figure is up dramatically from 2024, when it was at a low of 12.

It proves that we still have a long way to go in the line of safety. The construction sector has done mammoth work to reduce its incidence rate, but the reality of a farm safety inspector keeping tabs on farmers is a pipe dream.

It is up to us to champion change and teach the next generation that safety has to be a priority.

We saw this week that huge increases in farm income was recorded on the back of high commodity prices in 2025. I’d hope that some of this money was invested on improving safety on farm for yourselves and the next generation.