Minister Healy-Rae launches survey to assess farmer perspectives on farm safety, health and wellbeing
- Published on: 16 September 2025
- Last updated on: 16 September 2025
Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine with special responsibility for Forestry, Farm Safety and Horticulture, Michael Healy-Rae TD, today launched a survey to assess farmer perspectives on three critical areas: farm safety, farmer health and farmer wellbeing.
The survey is being conducted at the National Ploughing Championships 2025 by Teagasc, the Health and Safety Authority (HSA), and the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine.
Speaking ahead of the Ploughing Championships, Minister Healy-Rae said:
“It is important that we listen to farmers to understand their concerns about the issues which have the greatest impact on their daily lives. This survey will provide the evidence base necessary to enhance the effectiveness of existing farmer safety, health and wellbeing initiatives and inform the development of future policy that better addresses the comprehensive needs of Irish farming communities. I urge all farmers and everyone who helps on farms to take the time to complete the survey.”
The survey will provide an important insight into where farmers source knowledge and information relating to farm safety to enable more targeted and effective communication with them. It will also help establish baseline data on the prevalence of common occupational health issues affecting Irish farmers and their impact on work capacity and quality of life.
Dr David Meredith, Head of the AgriFood Business and Spatial Analysis Department in Teagasc, said:
“The results of this survey will be extremely important. They will inform how we approach farm health and safety. The results will ensure that future policy and supports for farmers and farming families are targeted, evidence-led and address the key safety, health and wellbeing challenges identified by farmers themselves. They will support the design of practical measures that can improve the safety, health and wellbeing of our farmers as part of existing and future agricultural strategies at local, national and EU levels.”
Mark Cullen, Interim CEO of the Health and Safety Authority, said:
“Farm safety and farmer wellbeing remain key priorities for the HSA. By hearing directly from farmers through this survey, we can better understand the challenges they face and ensure that our supports, guidance and initiatives are practical, relevant and effective. Collaboration across agencies is vital, and this survey is an important step in strengthening our shared efforts to make farming a safer and healthier occupation for all. With 16 work-related fatalities on farms so far this year, this challenge has never been more urgent.”
Teagasc will lead the data analysis and compile a report on the findings of the survey. The report on the survey will be published later this year.