Minister Heydon and Minister Michael Healy-Rae announce funding of €1.68 million for farm safety, health and wellbeing projects
- Published on: 2 July 2025
- Last updated on: 3 July 2025
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon, and Minister of State with special responsibility for Forestry, Farm Safety and Horticulture, Michael Healy-Rae, today announced the results of the open call for proposals for farm safety, health and wellbeing projects. The successful projects were selected following an open call for proposals earlier this year.
Minister 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, farming families, farm workers and agricultural contractors who engage directly with the projects.”
Speaking at Teagasc Moorepark Dairy Open Day today, Minister 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 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.
Minister Healy-Rae added:
“The success of the initiatives in helping to improve farm safety, health and wellbeing will depend on all 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.”
Notes
Details of the successful projects approved for funding under the Call are set out in the table below.
|
Applicant |
Project Title |
€ Funding |
|---|---|---|
|
Irish Farmers’ Association |
Irish Farmer Health Checks 2025 |
250,000 |
|
Irish Farmers Journal |
Irish Farmers Journal Health and Wellbeing Series |
157,240 |
|
Agriland |
Farm Safety Series 2025 |
147,834 |
|
Embrace FARM |
Outside the Farm Gate |
125,000 |
|
Agri Aware |
Sowing Wellbeing 2.0 |
100,000 |
|
Amella Wellbeing Coaching & Consultancy Ltd |
Farm Well Hub |
90,000 |
|
JPC Plant and Safety Training |
Farm Safety Training |
90,000 |
|
Irish Rural Link |
Farm Safety Community Champion Programme |
60,000 |
|
Association of Farm & Forestry Contractors in Ireland (FCI2) |
New Modern Young Operator Skills Training Program |
57,750 |
|
FRS Training |
Farm Family CPD Extension |
42,726 |
|
Frank Hynes |
Break Free from Farming Stress |
40,000 |
|
Towra Livestock Services |
Safe handling of Livestock & Animal welfare officer Training |
40,000 |
|
Drinagh Co-Op |
Drinagh Sunsafe Initiative |
39,360 |
|
NEWKD Farm Families 1 |
Loc8 Farm Safety |
36,900 |
|
Irish Heart Foundation |
Farmers Have Hearts – Rapid Heath Check Programme |
35,429 |
|
Social Farming Ireland and Leitrim Development Company |
Enhancing Mental Health and Wellbeing Through Mentorship for Social Farmers |
32,975 |
|
Midland Agri Consultants (Paul Belton) |
Lets talk about it! A warm invitation for a friendly chat with other farmers |
32,460 |
|
Mountbellew Agricultural College |
Drive Safe: Tractor Driving Skills for Tomorrow’s Leaders |
30,455 |
|
Inishowen Development Partnership (IDP) |
FIT4FARMLIFE 2025 |
25,000 |
|
FORUM Connemara CLG |
Farm Community Health & Safety FORUM |
20,356 |
|
Mayo Mental Health Associations |
Taking Stock |
20,000 |
|
NEWKD Farm Families 2 |
NEWKD Safe Tractor Driving Skills |
19,600 |
|
Midland Agri Consultants (Paul Belton) 2 |
Farm Machinery Training and Education for Future Operators |
19,200 |
|
Melanie Downes - Horse Knowing |
Equine Assisted Learning |
18,110 |
|
South Kerry Development Partnership CLG |
SKDP Farmer Health, Safety & Wellbeing Initiative |
16,329 |
|
North-West Forest Services Ltd |
Enhancing Farm Safety Through Targeted Training |
15,000 |
|
Teagasc |
Livestock safety training workshop |
12,435 |
|
Carlow Co Council |
Farmer Resilience Programme |
12,300 |
|
Laura Tully |
Fit Farmers |
12,300 |
|
Kieran O Brien |
Farmers health and well Being |
11,520 |
|
Jacqueline Willis - Horse and Harmony |
Equine Assisted Learning- for Farmer Wellbeing |
11,350 |
|
Muintir Na Tíre |
Farm Security Walks and Property Branding Events |
10,000 |
|
Deirdre Galvin |
Harvesting health project |
7,500 |
|
Castlemaine Family Resource Centre |
Mid Kerry Farmers & Friends Health, Safety and Wellbeing Project |
7,500 |
|
HSE Health & Wellbeing, Integrated Health Area of Dublin North County |
SunSmart for Farmers: Skin Cancer Prevention and Importance of Early Diagnosis |
7,201 |
|
Mark Twohig |
A Place to Pause: Farm-Based Mental Health and Reflection |
6,720 |
|
Torc Community & Family Resource Centre CLG |
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction courses |
6,562 |
|
IRD Duhallow |
Preparing For Tomorrow |
6,230 |
|
Dublin upland and North County Groups |
Farms Harmony |
5,898 |
|
Festina Lente Enterprises Ltd |
A Nature Based Approach to Improving Farmers Well-being and Resilience |
5,312 |