Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) deputy president Alice Doyle has described a European Commission proposal to support farm relief services under the next Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) as a “good intention with no money”, warning that funding cuts could prevent it from becoming a reality.
The proposal would allow CAP funding to support replacement workers, helping farmers take leave for illness, maternity, paternity, childcare and other caring responsibilities.
Doyle said finding and paying someone to run a farm during maternity leave remains a major challenge for women who are full-time farmers.
Challenges
She highlighted the case of a woman who is the main farmer while her husband works off-farm. She gave birth on a Monday, but had an inspection the previous Friday and had to accompany the inspector around the farm and down the fields because nobody else would be able to answer questions about the farm and the inspection couldn’t be postponed.
The woman faced a different inspection a week after giving birth, which she had to do with her baby in the car.
“If she was on maternity leave, she could pay someone else to do the work for her and have them up to speed,” Doyle said.
She added that finding someone capable of running a farm during this period is not straightforward.
“It's not the same as putting a teacher sub in for maternity leave,” she said.
Paternity leave
Doyle said young farming men also want to be involved in raising their children, but have limited opportunities to take paternity leave.
While two weeks' paternity leave is commonplace in many other jobs, she said farm families need greater support to allow both parents to take time off.
Funding concerns
Under the European Commission's CAP proposals, farm relief services could help make maternity and paternity leave more practical for self-employed farming families. However, Doyle stressed that the measures remain proposals and are not guaranteed.
“My biggest worry would be that where the intention is good, I'm not so sure that the possibility of it becoming real is anywhere near possible with the current cut to CAP funding,” she said.
“If we're going to take a 24% cut, where's the money going to come from for all these extras, unless they're going to be done at national level.”
Doyle said she was also doubtful that the Irish Exchequer would provide the necessary funding, suggesting that changes to the PRSI contributions paid by female farmers could be one option.
“It's hard enough to get money out of the Irish Exchequer for even the basic schemes going for production and income, let alone for these areas which to us are equally as important from a personal and social point of view.”
While welcoming the recognition of women's contribution to farming and efforts to encourage more young women into the sector, Doyle questioned whether the proposals would deliver meaningful change.
She said the IFA would “not give up” on securing maternity leave support for farmers at EU or national level, adding that the issue also affects other self-employed workers.
