Safety chiefs have drawn a blank on investigation of reckless farm footage posted on social media

Farmers have been warned not to share their bank details over the phone after it emerged a number of farmers have received calls from people proporting to be from the Department of Agriculture, looking for their bank details.

The callers have told farmers they need these details to allegedly offer refunds or seek due payments.

However, the Department said they never seek bank details or any other personal information by phone or by text message.

“If you receive a telephone call purporting to be from this Department and seeking this type of information, please do not share your information,” said a Department statement.

They also asked anyone who may have accidentally shared their bank details to immediately make contact with their bank and the Gardaí.

“Anyone who mistakenly provides personal information in response to these types of fraudulent phone calls should contact their bank or credit card company immediately and alert the Gardaí.

“It is important to point out that these types of scams do not involve this Department’s systems or security, they are designed to get your bank details.

“The fraudulent calls coincides with an increase in farm-related criminal activity over recent weeks where there has been an increase in theft on farms.”

Over the past number of weeks, there has been a spike in the number of trailer robberies.

Gardai in Tipperary issued a statement asking farmers to ensure all farming equipment was safely secured and to put property markings on equipment by using welding or engraving tools, or fitting a GPS device if possible.

There has also been a rise in farm dog thefts in recent months, according to a statement issued by the Gardai, with the perpetrators using them for “ransom, resale, fighting and breeding”.

Wexford TD James Browne recently called for harsher punishment for criminals in dog theft.

He said: “The current law does not reflect the emotional harm that can be caused to victims of pet theft. The penalty for pet theft should be more severe than for the theft of a non-living property.”

SAFETY chiefs have failed to identify a single person filmed performing reckless manoeuvres with farm machinery, despite promising to take strong action.

And the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) would not confirm to the Farming Independent whether it contacted TikToc about the viral videos which were highlighted in May.

In one video post, a young man is seen riding on the bonnet of a tractor while it is raking up grass for harvesting. In another a young person is seen standing on the drawbar between tractor and trailer, while it is being driven on the road. In separate footage a young man is seen dancing on the roof of a tractor while the vehicle is left to drive itself, pulling a hay turner which continues to rotate at speed behind the tractor.

Farm organisations called for those involved to be prosecuted.

The footage came to light following an investigation by the Farming Independent into content posted on social media platforms.

In a statement, the HSA said it has not been possible to identify the people involved, but said if the individual duty holders are identified, the appropriate action will be taken.

Neither the HSA nor TikTok would comment on whether the HSA had contacted TikTok to help identify those in the videos or those who had posted them.

A spokesperson for TikTok said that following reports of dangerous farming incidents, its safety teams investigated and removed a number of videos that violated its community guidelines.

“Keeping our community safe is our priority, and we do not allow content that encourages or replicates dangerous challenges that might lead to injury. We would encourage our community to use our extensive reporting tools to let us know about any content they are concerned about.”

Meanwhile, the Association of Farm and Forestry Contractors is testing a system which blocks drivers using mobile phone apps in tractors.

In an update to members, it described the system as ‘impressive’ and said the association ‘just needed to look at the costs over the three-year contract to establish the value over the need’.

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has taken over responsibility for the Health and Safety Authority in his role as Minister for

Enterprise, Trade and Employment.

Responding to a question on the topic, Minister Varadkar said the agriculture sector remains one of the most highrisk sectors in terms of workplace fatalities and injuries.

“This is a matter of concern to both myself and to the Health and Safety Authority.”

He said the agriculture sector is different from other sectors as farms, as well as being workplaces, are usually homes with children and the elderly also living on the farm.

“Many farmers are part-time or have employment off the farm and, being self-employed, many are reluctant to retire resulting in the average age of a farmer being over 58 in Ireland,” he said.

A young man is seen dancing on the roof of a tractor while vehicle is left to drive itself pulling a hay turner which continues to rotate at speed