Sinn Féin spokesperson for Agriculture, Claire Kerrane TD, has raised concerns about reports that many women farmers will be locked out of accessing the new Women Farmers Capital Investment Scheme, as a result of the scheme’s eligibility requirements.
 
In order to qualify for the new scheme, women farmers must have been part of the farming enterprise in 2022 or have completed an agricultural qualification, such as the Green Cert.
 
However, it has been flagged by the Women in Agriculture Stakeholder Group (WASG) that these rules will prevent many women farmers from accessing the scheme.  
 
Speaking today, Teachta Kerrane said:
 
“While the new scheme is a positive step forward, it seems that many women farmers will not be able to avail of this support.
 
“We know that women are often involved in their family farms, but that work may not be recorded through ‘official’ avenues – whether that is being listed as part of the farm enterprise or through educational certification.
 
“As the WASG have pointed out, those are the very women that the scheme should be aimed at. Instead, they are now being locked out of accessing it, which is incredibly disappointing.
 
“A targeted scheme like this should take into account the knowledge and experience of women farmers, and also work to recognise and address the challenges they face within the sector.
 
“Minister McConalogue and his Department officials must now engage with women farmers and the WASG on how to rectify these issues to ensure that this Scheme is actually accessible to women farmers in the first place.”