Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine with special responsibility for Farm Safety, Martin Heydon T.D., will today announce awards of €850,000 for farm safety, health and wellbeing projects.
The successful projects were selected following an open call for proposals under a new initiative launched by the Department this year.
Speaking ahead of the announcement of the awards at the National Ploughing Championships 2024, Minister Heydon said:
“The €850,000 in funding I am announcing today will support twenty projects across Ireland to increase awareness around farm safety, health and wellbeing. The call received an impressive number of applications highlighting the interest in driving positive change in this area. There was a range of approaches to supporting farmers, particularly around mental health and wellbeing.
“The unfortunate reality is farming has a poor record when it comes safety in the workplace. Farmers also experience a disproportionate burden of health problems related to cardiovascular disease, cancers and mental health. The projects will provide support to address the challenges that farming families and those working with farmers face around farm safety, physical health and mental health and wellbeing.”
Minister Heydon added:
“Farmers have a strong sense of care when it comes to land and animals. I want farmers to also look after their own safety, health and wellbeing in the same way. These projects will engage with farmers on how to improve the safety, physical health and mental health and wellbeing of everyone living or working on farms. I am confident that they will make a real difference to the farming community and that this pilot programme will inform future initiatives in this critical area”.
The projects are part of a series of initiatives being funded from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine’s dedicated farm safety budget.
| Applicant | Project Title | Funding Approved |
| Irish Farmers’ Association | Irish Farmer Health Initiative (working title) | €210,871 |
| Agri Aware | Be Well, Farm Well: Growing Wellbeing in Every Field | €107,750 |
| Irish Rural Link / AgriKids | AgriKids and Irish Rural Link – Engage Educate Empower | €76,798 |
| Agriland Media | Farm Safety Series 2024 | €66,076 |
| Men’s Development Network & Teagasc | FarmConnect | €64,536 |
| Amella Coaching and Consultancy | Health and Wellbeing Awareness Initiative | €63,596 |
| Macra | Make the Moove | €50,000 |
| FRS Co-Op | Farm Safety Roadshow Series | €49,151 |
| Embrace FARM | The ‘Encompass’ Project | €46,630 |
| Inishowen Development Partnership (IDP) | FIT 4 FARM LIFE | €22,000 |
| Social Farming Ireland and Leitrim Development Company | Enhancing Wellbeing with Farm-Focused Support for Social Farmers | €19,625 |
| Irish Heart Foundation | Farmers Have Hearts – Scaling and Development | €19,173 |
| Association of Farm & Forestry Contractors in Ireland (FCI) – 1 | FCI Operator Assessment and Evaluation Training for Agricultural Contractors | €13,250 |
| Association of Farm & Forestry Contractors in Ireland (FCI) – 2 | Agricultural Contractor Health & Safety Knowledge Transfer Training | €13,250 |
| Carlow County Council | Farming Resilience | €10,845 |
| HSE’s National Cancer Control Programme | SunSmart for Farmers: Skin cancer prevention and early diagnosis | €6,230 |
| Horse Knowing – Equine Assisted Learning | Equine Assisted Learning Service Provision | €4,840 |
| Kilnaboy Tidy Towns | Farmers Winter Retreat | €2,460 |
| Serenity House Learning Centre | Minding Mental Health for farmers | €2,320 |
| Sports Active Wexford, Wexford County Council | Muscular Strengthening & Mobility Exercise Programme in Water for Farmers | €600 |
| €850,000 |
Details of the successful proposals can be found at: www.gov.ie/farmsafety