Two fatalities were reported on farms in the past week, gardaí said. Last Wednesday, a three-year-old boy was hit by a low loader in a farmyard at Carrigabruise, Carlerys Bridge, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford.

He was later pronounced dead at Wexford General Hospital.

On Tuesday, a man in his 70s died when emptying a septic tank on a farm in Ferrybank outside Waterford city. It was not immediately clear if the tank was a domestic or farming installation.

The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) is investigating both incidents.

The HSA has confirmed five fatalities on farms so far this year, representing half of workplace deaths nationwide.