Farm Family Council Report July 2023

1. Activity since last National Council 

• There have been 7 farm fatalities officially recorded by HSA to date. To keep up to date on farm fatalities click here. 
• IFA attended Embrace Farm Remembrance Service on Sunday 25^th of June. A notable event in the farming calendar, acknowledging the suffering of those who have survived farm accidents and providing a place for farm families to remember loved ones who have died suddenly. 

• Embrace Farm offers counselling services beyond farm accidents, if anyone wishes to contact them, please contact 085 770 9966. 

• Farm Safety Week 2023 ran from 17^th to 21^st of July. As part of FSW: 

• Minister Martin Heydon officially launched the week on Tuesday 11^th of July on Thomas O’Connor’s farm in Co. Kildare 
• A farm safety video featuring farm accident survivor Ella Casey was developed and promoted online. An advert promoting the video was placed in the Farmers Journal. 
• IFA spoke on Ireland AM along with Minister Martin Heydon and farm accident survivor Peter Gohery, highlighting the importance of farm safety week. 

• IFA supported a dedicated farm safety feature in the Irish Farmers Journal with FDB. 
• A farm safety hub was developed on the IFA website to showcase the events, highlight the most up to date farm safety statistics, provide resources and promote the work of the Farm Family committee relating to farm safety. 
• A daily social media campaign was launched during farm safety week which encouraged farmers to make one change on their farms to improve farm safety.  
• An updated farm safety leaflet (attached) was launched in partnership with FBD featuring the most up to date research and statistics on farm accidents and fatalities and advice on how to avoid the risk of farm accidents. 
• IFA took part in several radio interviews to promote FSW. 

• IFA met with the HSA and discussed various safety topics including the new regulations for ATVs (Quad Bikes) which will come into effect in November 2023. 

These regulations have 2 essential requirements of note: 

• Training to be undertaken with a registered training provider to a QQI standard or equivalent. 
• Use of helmets to a (generally) prescribed standard. 
• The majority of ATV/Quad Bike training providers in Ireland train to the Lantra Standard, which is equivalent to the QQI standard. A list of training providers can be accessed at https://www.lantra.co.uk/product/35434 

• IFA welcomes the National Farm Safety Measure 2023 which promotes farm safety by incentivising farmers to purchase and use farm safety equipment. It will provide a financial contribution to participating farmers for new quad helmets and PTO shaft covers, covering 60% of the eligible cost. 

• The maximum amount of aid under the measure is for two quad bike (ATV) helmets and four PTO shaft covers.  
• The grant aid will be at a rate of 60% subject to a maximum eligible cost of €100 per PTO shaft cover and €150 per quad bike (ATV) helmet. 

• A photocall with Minister Mary Butler was organised to launch the IFA series of Green Ribbon walks with partners See Change, Coillte and Mental Health Ireland.  

• IFA will promote the walks on local and national media with regional press releases issuing to coincide with the walks.  
• IFA will hold 14 Green Ribbon Walks across the country in the following venues: 

Venue	County
Curragh Chase	Limerick
Moore Hall	Mayo
Avondale	Wicklow
Doneraile Park	N Cork
Nobber Greenway	Meath
Ballinakill	Laois
Ballycotten Cliff Walk	Cork
Granard	Longford
Monivea	Galway
Drumboe Woods, Ballybofey	Donegal
Oak Park	Carlow
Wheelocks Strawberry Farm	Wexford
Rossmore Park	Monaghan
Guerins Path, Liscannor	Clare

• IFA attended a meeting with the Agriculture Joint Oireachtas Committee to discuss the topic revitalising vacant/derelict farmhouses. 
• IFA held 4 regional farm succession and inheritance meetings in Carlow, Cork, Meath, and Roscommon to raise awareness about the pressing issues around succession and inheritance and to provide reliable information from professional bodies around the topic of succession and inheritance. Approximately 1600 people attended the 4 succession and inheritance events. 
• IFA have been working with Pieta House to build a relationship with IFA members and the rural community. IFA and Pieta House launched a leaflet (see attached). 
• IFA welcomes the Women’s Capital Investment Scheme; however, terms and conditions appear restrictive. IFA will continue to seek broader terms and conditions.  

• Tranche 2 opened on July 1^st. 

• IFA attended the Copa and Cogeca Working Party on Women’s Committee which took place in Brussels and online on 26^th June 2023.  

• Exchange of views on gender equality and social conditionality which spoke about the importance of achieving equal participation of women across all sectors of the economy including agriculture and rural development. 
• Point of information on what CAP is doing to address inequality in agriculture and rural areas for example Women’s TAM’s, Young Farmers Scheme. 
• There have been 37 applications to the Women’s Innovation Awards – Ceremony Award will take place on 9^th October 2023 

2. Other Updates: 

• IFA visited Waterford IT to discuss general agricultural apprenticeships. 
• Teagasc are progressing the development of 5 land-based apprenticeship programmes in collaboration with Consortium Groups. Consortium Groups are representatives of industry, stakeholder bodies, Teagasc staff and graduates from Teagasc courses. The programmes are: 

• Sportsturf Technician (Higher Level 6) – 2 years 
• Horticulturist (Higher Level 6) – 2 years 
• Farm Technician (Higher Level 6) – 2 years  
• Farm Manager (Ordinary Level 7 Bachelor Degree) – 2 years 
• Assistant Stud Manager (Ordinary Level 7 Bachelor Degree) – 3 years 

Pending QQI validation approval and the approval of Industrial Training Order legislation, the apprenticeship programmes will be launched in 2023. If interested, please contact Teagasc. 

• Farm Manager and Farm Technician apprenticeships are approved and going ahead. If any student is interested and wishes to apply, please send an email to [email protected] as soon as possible. 
• If any master farmers wish to host a student on their farm, please register with [email protected] as soon as possible.