Agriculture Industry
Dail Éireann — 2026-03-19
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Martin Heydon (FG), Kildare South

I join with Deputy O'Shea in extending my sympathies to Deputy Burke and his family on the passing of his mother-in-law.
Gender equality in agriculture is a priority of mine and it is included in the programme for Government. Food Vision 2030 also recognises the importance of gender balance to the long-term sustainable future of the sector and committed to holding a national dialogue on women in agriculture.
The dialogue, which took place in 2023, explored gender equality across the sector, with the outcomes and recommendations informing a report and national action plan which was launched in 2024. A working group was established to oversee its implementation, which is nearing completion. The group has delivered a winter webinar series to increase knowledge and awareness of my Department’s schemes, access to finance, agri-taxation, succession planning and social protection. This follows a number of in-person leadership and networking events nationwide last year.
The group established an annual women in agriculture studies excellence sward, in association with the UCD school of agriculture and food science. Sponsored by my Department, it recognises academic merit and commitment to gender inclusivity among female students.
A review of my Department’s schemes was completed to ensure language, terms and conditions and eligibility criteria do not present any unintended barriers to female farmer participation. It has informed an internal guidance note and checklist to assist in the design of future scheme documentation to ensure best practice. A review of the herd number application process was also undertaken and updated guidance documents, application forms and standard operating procedures have been implemented, ensuring greater consistency and ease of use.
A women in agriculture webpage was created as a centralised point of information for, and promotion of, women involved in Irish agriculture. Promoting the role of women in sustainability, the group published a "Spotlight on Female-led Sustainability" booklet, profiling and promoting women's sustainability practices in the farming, food production, forestry, marine and research fields. The specific work of this group is almost complete and an implementation report will be published later this year.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-03-19/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:45+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-03-19