The National Farm Safety Measure 2025 has opened for applications.

This measure provides grant aid covering 60% of the eligible cost of up to four power take-off (PTO) shaft covers.

Over the past decade (2015 – 2024), farm vehicles and machinery accounted for almost half of all fatalities on farms.

Entanglement in PTO shafts has resulted in fatalities and life-changing injuries on Irish farms.

Announcing the measure today (Wednesday) as Farm Safety Week takes place, Minister of State with responsibility for farm safety, Michael Healy-Rae said that properly fitted and well-maintained PTO-shaft covers are essential to protecting everyone on farms.

"I am reopening the National Farm Safety Measure to encourage farmers to replace PTO shaft covers that are defective or missing," the minister said.

He added that the "greatest investment" that farmers can make regarding farm safety "is time - time to identify the hazards on the farm and time to put corrective actions in place".

"I am encouraging farmers to take out their Farm Safety Code of Practice risk assessment, use it to identify and review the hazards around the farm such as inadequately protected PTO-shaft covers and to then put the necessary steps in place to minimise or eliminate the risks," he said.

"When it comes to farm safety, complacency or inaction can be unforgiving.”

Applications are open until Friday, November 7, 2025.

Grant aid under the measure is at a rate of 60% subject to a maximum eligible cost of €100 per PTO shaft cover, for up to for four PTO shaft covers.

Farmers who applied for grant aid under the National Farm Safety Measure in 2023 or 2024 are also eligible for this measure.

The measure is being funded from the national exchequer.