€1.68m announced for farm safety, health and wellbeing projects
The results of a call for proposals for farm safety, health and wellbeing projects for farmers have been announced by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, with 40 successful projects to share in funding of €1.68 million.
The successful projects were selected following an open call for proposals earlier this year.
The projects are being funded from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine’s dedicated farm safety budget.
Successful projects under the call cover one or more of the following themes:
- Farm safety;
- Farmers’ physical health;
- Farmers’ mental health and wellbeing;
- Farmers’ physical and mental health checks;
- Tractor driving awareness training for children 14 years of age and older;
- Chainsaw training for farmers and farm safety;
- Health and wellbeing events/engagement.
The amounts of individual funding to the 40 successful projects range from around €5,300 to €250,000.
Commenting on the results of the call for proposals, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon said: "There was an excellent response to the call, with 40 projects selected for funding of €1.68 million.
"I am confident that these projects will make an important contribution to promoting farmer safety, health and wellbeing not only among farmers [but] farming families, farm workers and agricultural contractors who engage directly with the projects," the minister added.
Also commenting on the funding announcement, Minister of State for farm safety Michael Healy-Rae said: "I am pleased with the broad range of approaches the projects employ to support farmers, farming families, farm workers and agricultural contractors, and in particular the positive response to the call for the provision of health and wellbeing checks, tractor driving awareness training for children over 14 years of age, and chainsaw training.
"The projects also highlight to the wider farming community how the challenges around farm safety, health and wellbeing that they face can be tackled.
"The success of the initiatives in helping to improve farm safety, health and wellbeing will depend on those in the farming community getting involved with the projects. I urge everyone involved in farming to avail of the opportunities that these projects have to offer," Minister Healy-Rae added.
