Publication
Frequently Raised Topics About Public Health Measures
From Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Published on
Last updated on
The latest Government restrictions in place in Ireland are available here. The latest restrictions apply nationwide and include additional restrictions on the numbers of people gathering and the advice is that those who can work from home must do so. Travel is restricted to within 5kms of your own home except for essential reasons. Overseas travel is not recommended except for essential reasons.
For more details, please visit gov.ie , hse.ie or the Covid-19 Hub . These sites have a great deal of information which may answer your questions. The agriculture website also contains many Information Line numbers for our various schemes and services.
The Government has announced significant public health measures to prevent the spreading of Covid-19. In certain limited circumstances, there are exceptions allowed for some workers in key businesses but for the majority of people, the rule is simple: Stay at home.
There is guidance for employers and employees and the self employed, including farmers, to decide whether you are providing an essential service. It is not necessary to seek official authorisation - it is up to you to objectively and fairly make the assessment in each case, taking into account the spirit of these measures which is to keep you, your family and community safe.
This document is provided as assistance based on common questions the Department has received. However, the Department is not the arbiter in these matters, you must make your own decisions based on the facts of your own case and bearing in mind that many tasks can be postponed for the duration of the ‘Stay at home’ phase.
Directions from a member An Garda Síochána must be followed in all circumstances.
The Department remains open for business though the public offices are closed to public visitors for the present. The Department can be reached at the normal contact numbers, or by e mail. There is a specific COVID-19 Information Line at: 076 1064468
Our phone lines are open from 9:30am to 12:30pm and from 2:00pm to 5:00pm. A range of online facilities are also available
Email and phone contact details for the various Divisions dealing with schemes are available here
The key message is for everyone to stay at home, except for specified reasons .
However, there are exceptions for providers of essential services.
No. There is no need to seek official authorisation #####What are the essential services and which workers are essential workers?
• The following services relating to agriculture, horticulture, forestry, fishing, animal welfare and related services are deemed essential:
• (a) farming;
• (b) farm labour;
• (c) farm relief services;
• (d) crop and animal production;
• (e) fishing for commercial purposes;
• (f) aquaculture and fish farming;
• (g) horticulture;
• (h) forestry;
• (i) veterinary, animal welfare and related services;
• (j) marts - sales rings are closed, bidding held online only;
• (k) the provision of support services relating to any of the services specified in subparagraphs (a) to (j) (including artificial insemination and animal disposal).
It is a matter for each company/individual to assess whether they are involved in providing essential services and then whether any individual is essential in providing that particular service. There is no need to seek official authorisation from the Department in this regard.
In all cases, plans should be in place for all essential workers to carry out their work while observing 2 metre physical distancing.
from the Department. Farmers, and other self-employed workers, should carry one form of identification in case they are stopped by An Garda Síochána. Employees engaged in essential work should carry either a work identification card or a letter from their employer indicating that they are an essential employee and one other form of identification.
Yes. The current advice is that you can move animals as part of the business of farming, which is an essential service. There is no restriction on the distance, however one should reflect on whether such movement is actually essential at a particular point in time.
Those aged over 70 and the medically vulnerable are advised to continue to exercise personal judgement. It is recommended that everybody stay at home as much as possible, limit engagement to a very small network for short periods of time, while remaining physically distanced.
When taking exercise outdoors, it is important to maintain 2 metres distance from others and wash hands on returning home. It is recommended to shop during designated hours only, while wearing a face covering , and to avoid public transport.
If there are essential tasks on the farm which require more than one person, older farmers should not hesitate to ask for help from family and neighbours but should ensure that social distancing is possible, that is stay at least 2 metres apart.
To support those who risk isolation, a 'social bubble' will apply for the duration of Level 5. In certain situations , you can form a bubble with 1 other household (of any size). You can then act as one extended household. You must still keep physical distance from people outside your support bubble. You can access more information on support bubbles.
If an older farmer needs additional help or has any concerns, they should ring the local community support Information Line (there is one in each local authority area) or the local Garda station. Anyone who visits the farm, including farm workers, contractors and farm relief services, should ensure that they maintain 2 metre physical distancing.
The Department has agreed protocols to allow marts to continue to operate, albeit on a limited and controlled basis, so that livestock sales could continue during the period of restrictions.
Each mart operates under a “Covid 19 Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)” which must be signed off by the Department. Adherence to the SOP is a condition of the Mart’s licence and is mandatory.
Sales rings are to remain closed – marts may facilitate online sales.
- Marts must put a drop and go policy in place for sellers. This means that farmers or their representatives may deliver livestock to the mart by appointment and must then depart from the mart premises. Where feasible, farmers or their representatives should remain in their vehicle while on the mart premises, and mart staff should unload and load livestock and take passports.
- Marts must arrange that individual appointment times are allocated to individual buyers to view or collect livestock. Buyers should attend the mart on their own, without accompaniment.
These measures are subject to ongoing review and may be amended as required to ensure compliance with government policy on COVID19.
These measures are largely similar to those put in place in April and May.
Marts wishing to operate must submit a revised standard operating procedure (“Level 5 SOP – October”) to their Regional Veterinary Office for approval as soon as possible.
DAFM has informed marts representative organisations of these new measures, and will write to all marts today informing them of the new measures.
Marts not implementing this policy risk losing their licence to operate.
In addition to its normal oversight role in relation to food safety, animal health and animal welfare, this Department is an essential component of the National Standing Oversight Committee on COVID-19 for food processing plants and this work will continue and expand as necessary. Department inspection staff have been carrying out inspections at these facilities on behalf of the HSA.
An essential part of the latest measures is greater inspection and enforcement arrangements to ensure that premises are operating safely and within Regulations and guidelines.
Yes. Currently there is no restriction on the movement of animals within the country for farming purposes, including for breeding. HSE public health guidelines must be observed at all times.
Yes, this is an essential service associated with farming.
No. Farmers must continue to tissue tag calves as soon as possible after birth and submit the sample to the designated BVD laboratories for testing as normal. Farm bodies have offered assistance where farmers are unable to submit samples, for example, due to self- isolation or cocooning. Currently turnaround times for tissue tag testing are largely unaffected, but this may be subject to change.
DAFM has introduced a range of measures for handling scheme applications and payment processing to take account of the latest public health guidelines ( with a strong focus on telephone, text messaging and online interaction with customers). These measures are being kept under review. Ireland has also sought and achieved flexibilities at EU level to allow scheme payments to be delivered later this year as usual even though all the regulatory checks and controls may not be completed on time. DAFM has written to all farmers to advise them of the schedule of payments under a range of schemes, and remains on course to issue payments on schedule.
The Department continues routine on-farm visits in order to minimise any delays in payments and to meet scheme requirements. Our priority remains unchanged. The health & safety of our customers, our staff and their families is paramount. Our Inspecting Officers are required to follow best practice and the latest HSE guidelines on Hygiene throughout the inspection process.
