Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 9 July 2026
64. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for an update on programmes to highlight and promote female farmers and the vital role they play in the industry; to provide an update on EU funding drawdown for female farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51549/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have prioritised increased participation and visibility of women in agriculture. Key measures include implementation of the Women in Agriculture Action Plan; 60% grant aid for women farmers under CAP investment schemes; women-only Knowledge Transfer Groups, mentorship and leadership initiatives; and ongoing work to address succession barriers that disproportionately affect women. Ireland is one of only two member states to have specific measures under the CAP Strategic Plan to improve gender equality.
Several initiatives have been delivered under the National Action Plan on Women in Agriculture to highlight and promote the vital role of women farmers including:
• An annual “Women in Agriculture Studies Gender Excellence Award” in association with UCD School of Agri-Food & Science. Sponsored by my Department, it recognises academic merit and commitment to gender inclusivity among female students.
• A review of scheme supports to ensure language, terms and conditions and eligibility criteria do not present any unintended barriers to women farmer participation. This has informed updates to the scheme design processes and documentation to ensure best practice.
• A review of the herd number application process. This led to updated guidance documents, application forms and new standard operating procedures being implemented, ensuring greater consistency and ease of use.
• A “Women in Agriculture” web page to act as a centralised point of information for, and promotion of, women involved in Irish agriculture.
• Publication of a booklet profiling and promoting women's sustainability practices in farming, food-production, forestry, marine and research.
• A range of leadership and networking events, and information Webinars.
The specific work of this Group is nearing completion, and an implementation report will be published later this year.
This year, the focus is on the International Year of the Woman Farmer (IYWF) 2026. My Department held a photo competition, highlighting the importance of imagery depicting women in agriculture. The photos submitted are helping to build a public library of images to support communications and publications promoting women in agriculture.
A conference to launch the year in Ireland and to celebrate International Women's Day was held in March. I was delighted to announce Carina Roseingrave as our IYWF Ambassador. She is representing women farmers, raising awareness of available supports, and highlighting important issues through media interviews, in person events, panel discussions and social media activity.
Additional events will take place in the coming months. The central focus being women’s role in better farm safety, health and well-being. Other important topics such as education pathways, financial awareness and farm diversification will also be explored.
With regard to EU funding, the Women Farmers Capital Investment Scheme is part of TAMS 3. It provides eligible women farmers with a 60% grant rate (compared to the standard 40%) for on-farm building and equipment investments. There is an individual funding ceiling of €90,000 per holding, or €160,000 for joint farm partnerships. To date approximately €11.6 million in grant aid has issued to scheme applicants.
