THIRTEEN PEOPLE, including three children, have died on farms in the Republic so far this year, two more fatalities than in the whole of 2007.
The figures were presented by the Health and Safety Authority yesterday as it prepared a new initiative to highlight the dangers on Irish farms ahead of the end of the harvest.
A spokesman said the HSA would be working with the key partners in the agriculture area to highlight the problem, which is going against the trend in other sectors.
"Although there are only just over 100,000 farmers in the country, 30 per cent of all work-related fatalities happen on farms and this is causing concern."
"We understand that the farm is a difficult workplace and frequently may also be the home of a farmer as well, but we must keep reminding farmers and their families just how dangerous it is," he said.
He said it was unfortunate that it was young people and more elderly people who appeared to be the victims of farm fatalities.
"So far this year three children, aged four, six and 14 have died in farm accidents and a high proportion of the remaining deaths have been in the over-60 age category."
"It is very disappointing because in other sectors, including construction, there has been a steady decline in recent years in the number of deaths."
The total number of work-related deaths across the sectors so far this year is 43. There were 67 fatal accidents in the workplace last year.
The spokesman praised the work of employers and trade unions in making building sites much safer in recent years and so far 12 people have died in this sector compared with 18 for the whole of last year.
Last year, all farmers in the country received a code of practice document which highlighted the dangers on farms and how these should be dealt with.
In addition, farmers must by law complete a farm safety compliance document but there have been complaints that many farmers do not do so.
Now a special effort is being made to highlight the fatalities situation with the farm organisations and Teagasc.
"We are going to make a special effort also at the National Ploughing Association Championships next month to highlight the problem," said the spokesman.
In Northern Ireland six people have died so far this year on farms, just one less than in the whole of 2007.
A growing trend in farm deaths both on farms in Northern Ireland and the Republic in recent years has been the increasing number of elderly people killed by animals.
Two of the six farm fatalities in the North so far this year have been as a result of attacks by animals.
The first was a 72-year-old man attacked by a bull last May and the second was a 60-year-old man also killed by a bull in June. One of the deaths in the Republic was stock related.