Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 April 2024
539. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine what supports are in place to support mental health in the farming community; if he has had engagement on this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16042/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThis Government has prioritised farm safety, health and well-being. 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, is co-funding a farmers physical and mental health awareness programme called ‘On Feirm Ground 2’. This programme is providing training for agricultural advisors, vets, veterinary nurses, HSA inspectors, Department staff, farm organisation representatives and other professionals and service providers, to signpost farmers to supports in relation to health and well-being.
Last year, my Department funded eight farm safety European Innovation Partnerships (EIP’s) projects, four which 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 Well-being in Rural Ireland' conference on 20th November last year. The conference had a strong focus on supporting farmers, fishers, foresters in rural and coastal communities to cultivate positive action around mental well-being.
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 Well-being - A Guide to Staying Healthy While Farming” in BISS 2023 packs. The booklet includes a section on coping with stress and minding your mental health.
Farm safety, health and well-being is a priority for me and my colleague, Minister of State Martin Heydon T.D. Dedicated funding within my Department allows the continuation of existing initiatives and the development of new initiatives to improve the safety, health and well-being of our farming community.
