Agriculture Supports Seanad Éireann — 2026-02-10 ============================================================ Martin Heydon (FG), Kildare South I thank Senator Murphy O'Mahony for raising this important issue, which is very topical in this early part of 2026. Before I answer on the key points she raised, I will say that I am the youngest of three and, unfortunately, my dad died when I was eight years old. Back in 1986, my mother, as a 43-year-old widow, had a choice to make as to whether to set the farm to educate her three children. She insisted on continuing to farm it with me before and after school, morning and evening, because she said that if I grew up on a farm that was set, I would never have a grá for the land. I had that experience of seeing my mother in the mid-1980s as a young female farmer. Many female farmers are there not through planned circumstance but through inheritance as a widow. That experience is not easy. I have seen how hard it is for a female farmer in a system that is male-dominated. This is an area about which I am passionate. I am delighted to see the progress we are making on the action plan points. I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues in both Houses of the Oireachtas to ensure we make lasting change and the cultural change the Senator talked about in her opening address. It is fair to say that women play an essential role in agriculture and agribusiness. However, they can face significant barriers to land, finance, training and decision-making. Gender equality in agriculture is, therefore, a priority of mine and features strongly in the new programme for Government, as the Senator knows. It is a core element of Ireland's domestic policy framework, including Food Vision 2030, and is central to our wider international development work. The International Year of the Woman Farmer is an opportunity to recognise the vital role that women play across the agrifood sector. It is also an opportunity to target gaps within policy with concrete actions. Ireland is actively engaging with this global initiative by co-sponsoring the official launch ceremony at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO, and taking steps domestically to raise visibility, improve participation and expand supports. The outcomes and recommendations of the national dialogue on women in agriculture formed the basis of a 12-point national action plan, which was launched in 2024. It seeks to address issues across areas such as leadership, visibility, educational awareness, financial and legal matters and sustainability. Implementation has worked and progressed well under the stewardship of the women in agriculture working group and a final report is expected shortly. I intend to use the platform of the International Year of the Woman Farmer to build on this momentum and further improve gender equality in farming throughout the year. Ireland was one of only two member states to formally include support for women farmers under the Common Agricultural Policy, CAP, strategic plan. The most significant practical measure to support female farmers is the women farmers' capital investment scheme. It provides an enhanced grant of 60%, up to €90,000, for on-farm capital investments. Additionally, the Department funded Making Farms Work For Women, a European Innovation Partnership project. It seeks to foster a more inclusive environment for women on farms and to address physical barriers to sole female farming. Beyond financial supports, a range of initiatives is planned for this year. Our search for a female farmer ambassador for the International Year of the Woman Farmer places women farmers at the heart of our plans for this year. It offers a unique opportunity to represent female farmers, promote existing supports and initiatives, and highlight important issues. I have seen at first-hand the incredible work of women farmers and am confident of the high calibre of entries for this important role. I will announce the outcome at the flagship International Year of the Woman Farmer event in Athlone in March. Rising engagement in formal agricultural learning and leadership has led to an increase in the number of women taking up formal agricultural education. The establishment of the women in agricultural studies award, in association with the UCD school of agriculture and food science, is just one way in which we acknowledge and promote the involvement of women and young girls in agriculture. Through these initiatives, we celebrate women's contributions to agriculture and create lasting structural change, enhancing recognition, participation and leadership. --- Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted. Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-02-10/debate/main Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:36+00:00 Sitting date: 2026-02-10