Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 22 February 2024
243. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the efforts ongoing by his Department to address issues relating to farmer mental health and well-being; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8612/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThis Government has prioritised farm safety, health and wellbeing. Dedicated funding of €2.5m was allocated in Budget 2024 for a range of initiatives including initiatives to support increased awareness of the importance of mental health among farmers.
My Department, along with the HSE and the Department of Health, has co-funded a farmers physical and mental health awareness programme called ‘On Feirm Ground 2’. This expanded programme is providing training for agricultural advisors, vets, Department staff and other professionals, to signpost farmers to supports in relation to health and wellbeing.
Last year, my Department funded eight farm safety European Innovation Partnerships (EIP’s) projects, of which four focused on mental health in the farming community.
My Department, with the support of The Department of Health and the Health Service Executive, hosted the 'Cultivating Mental Wellbeing in Rural Ireland' conference in November 2024.
I have provided support for further research into farmer mental health. The DCU led FarmHealth Research Project is examining farmers mental health literacy and help-seeking behaviour to inform the development of an educational mental health intervention for farmers.
The UCD-led “Farming Minds: Developing evidence-based interventions to enhance farmer mental health” aims to develop and test the feasibility and effectiveness of a scalable evidence-based psychological intervention for farmers.
The Department distributed the HSA’s Farm Safety Partnership booklet on “Farmers’ Health and Wellbeing - A Guide to Staying Healthy While Farming” in BISS 2023 packs to all farmers. The booklet includes a section on coping with stress and minding your mental health.
Farm safety, health and wellbeing is a priority for me and my colleague, Minister of State Martin Heydon T.D. The dedicated funding allows the continuation of existing initiatives and the development of new initiatives to build on my Department’s efforts to improve farm safety, health and wellbeing.
