OVER the coming months work will commence on over 3,000 agricultural building projects within the County.

The likelihood, however, is that with such an amount of building work taking place, the number of accidents may also increase.

According to Cairns Witherow of FBD Insurance in Donegal, who addressed a gathering of farmers at this week's IFA AGM explained: "Over half the farmers in the county are building something but there are many who are going to be faced with so-called contractors setting up in business. The likelihood is that they will not have insurance. It is absolutely essential that you find out if your builder is insured becuase you could well find yourself in a situation where a workman falls of a ladder and is lying at the bottom of a tank with a broken back. All claims will come against the farmer and you could find yourself having to pay anything up to half-a-million euro in compensation."

Mr Witherow continued: "You can rest assured that there will be serious accidents given the amount of building which is going to be taking place. If something does happen and you are liable it could stymie your development plans for a number of years."

Existing public liability insurance owned by farmers will not cover them for building. Mr Witherow explained: "Public liability only covers you for your business as that of a farmer. When you are building and bringing different workmen onto your land to do different jobs, then you are considered the project co-ordinator and will have to take full responsibility unless you are covered by the proper insurance."

Mr Witherow concluded that adequate insurance can be easily obtained to cover a farmer during the course of building works taking place on his land.