Brand-new initiative aims to promote farm safety awareness among Kildare youth
A five-year contract has been awarded to the Agrikids project
A brand-new initiative aims to promote farm safety awareness among children and young people in County Kildare, as well as other counties.
The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon TD (Fine Gael), has announced that a five-year contract has been awarded to Irish Rural Link’s Agrikids.
He also revealed that his Department will provide funding of €22,250 for this project in 2026 as part of its dedicated farm safety budget.
The purpose of this initiative is to promote greater awareness of farm safety among children and young people at public events and shows nationwide.
Speaking further on the announcement, Minister Heydon said: “I am delighted to announce funding for this new initiative with Agrikids who have been working with schools and communities for over ten years to educate and empower our children and families around farm safety.
“This project is part of a series of education initiatives in 2026 which aim to teach children and young people about farm safety.”
The Newbridge-based rep added: “I am confident that this initiative will help young people recognise the dangers on farms and educate them about the risks.”
“This will not only help protect children throughout their childhood, but importantly instill a culture of farm safety awareness in the next generation of farmers,” he concluded.
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The AgriKids Farm Safe Roadshow aims to deliver farm safety themed activities and exhibits at agri-shows and public events, including a workshop zone, virtual reality area, 3D farm and an activity table where children will be challenged to identify farm safety risks.
Alma Jordan of Agrikids also said: Our country is an agricultural one, our farms are largely family farms, so it makes sense that we include our children in this discussion and empower them with knowledge so that they may become more aware and more informed.
“From partaking in AgriKids events and using the resources, we have seen how quickly children pick up the message and in turn share this learning with their parents and adults,” Ms Jordan added.
Furthermore, Briain Smyth, the CEO of Irish Rural Link claimed that Alma and her team ‘have built something that genuinely engages, educates and empowers children to become farm safety ambassadors at home’.
Anyone seeking further information about this initiative can visit www.gov.ie/farmsafety.
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Fund