Following another tragic farm accident involving children, ICSA president Patrick Kent has again called for health and safety education to be included in the primary school curriculum.
An eight-year-old girl died and an 11-year-old girl was critically injured in a farm accident near Newtownshandrum in north Cork on Sunday evening. The two children, who were not sisters, were staying with friends of their parents for the weekend when the incident occurred.
The eight-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene, while the 11-year-old was brought to Cork University Hospital.
“No child should leave primary school without an awareness of health and safety issues including farm safety and road safety,” said Mr. Kent.
“We have previously called on Minister Coveney to explore this proposal with his counterpart in the Department of Education and Skills, and our call has also been supported by the Board of Education of the Church of Ireland. However, as there is no evidence of any progress on the matter, ICSA is now seeking a meeting with Minister Jan O’Sullivan as a matter of urgency,” he added.
A native of Ennis, Colin McGann has been editor of The Clare Champion since August 2020. Former editor of The Clare People, he is a journalism and communications graduate of Dublin Institute of Technology.