Colm Burke (Cork North-Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

A recent study - and there have been a number of them - by agri-mental health group Farming Minds in UCD found that 23.4% of farmers are considered at risk of suicide, 50% of farmers are currently experiencing moderate to extremely severe depression and almost 40% of farmers are experiencing moderate to extremely severe anxiety and stress. That report and other reports have been produced over recent years and highlight this, but other health areas need to be highlighted as well. I came across someone recently in their early 30s who suffered a severe stroke, so this is about not just mental health but also other health issues. We need to make sure we get the information out there but also work for farmers, working in particular with the farming organisations - the IFA, Macra na Feirme, the ICMSA and all the others - on getting information out there. The big issue with people being at risk in farming is that they work alone for quite considerable periods.

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