IFA Deputy President Alice Doyle believes breaking the stigma and improving access to support are the necessary steps to ensuring that farmers don’t have to struggle in silence when it comes to mental health.

Addressing the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine last week, she said many farmers are slow to seek help due to cultural norms around stoicism, combined with limited access to services in rural areas, meaning that emotional distress often goes unspoken and untreated.

“Farming is more than an occupation in Ireland. It is a way of life that shapes our rural communities, our economy, and our national identity,” Ms Doyle said.

“But behind pride, tradition, and hard work, there is a growing and pressing concern: the mental health and wellbeing of our farmers.

“Farmers face unique stressors: financial pressures, market uncertainty, isolation, regulatory complexity, unpredictable weather, and the emotional weight of maintaining a family legacy.

“There is no ‘clocking out’, and very little room for rest.”

Ms Doyle said a farmer struggling with stress, anxiety, or depression is more at risk of making unsafe decisions, more likely to withdraw socially and less likely to engage with services that could help improve their farm and their life.

“Good mental health leads to better judgement, stronger relationships, and more sustainable farming practices,” she said.

“If we want a healthy farming sector, we need to support healthy farmers.”

IFA Farm Family and Social Affairs Chair, Teresa Roche, said initiatives to raise awareness, train agricultural advisers in mental health literacy, and provide better access to rural services are extremely important.

However, she said we now need to move beyond recognition.

We need action that is co-ordinated, properly funded, and grounded in what farmers themselves are telling us.

“That begins with treating mental wellbeing as a core part of agricultural sustainability,” she said.

“It means ensuring that services are not only available, but accessible in terms of time, location, and cultural fit.

“And crucially, it means involving farmers directly in the design and delivery of those supports, so
that nothing feels imposed or out of touch with their lived experience.”