A competitive public procurement procedure seeking proposals that promote farm safety awareness among children and young people has been announced.

The successful tender will deliver farm safety awareness training to second-level students in schools across the country through in-class learning, webinars and farm visits.

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is providing funding of €100,000 from its dedicated farm safety budget for 2026, with an option to extend the contract for a further four years. 

Farm safety

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon said: "This initiative has the potential to make a significant contribution to farm safety and our collective efforts to continue to drive down the number of fatal and serious non-fatal incidents on Irish farms.

Over the past 10 years, eight people under 18 years of age have died in incidents on Irish farms, all involving farm vehicles.

Children have also sustained serious life-changing injuries in farm incidents.

Progress

Minister of State Niall Collins, who has responsibility for farm safety, said: “Great progress has been made in improving children’s safety on Irish farms since the 1980s when 74 people under 18 years died in farm incidents in the 10-year period from 1980 to 1989.

"We must make every effort to prevent these tragic incidents.

Minister Collins said by engaging with second-level students on farm safety, "we aim to shift behavioural norms and equip the next generation to actively champion farm safety in their own families and communities". 

The successful initiatives will help address children and young persons’ awareness on Irish farms by assisting teachers in second-level schools in educating their students about the potential dangers associated with farming and agriculture.

The tender has been posted on the eTenders website (Reference 8433993) with a closing date of 2:00p.m on July 20. The successful initiative must be delivered by November 2026.