Grant aid on power take off (PTO) shaft covers is available to farmers again in 2025 following the opening of the National Farm Safety Measure 2025 by Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Healy-Rae.

The level of grant aid on offer is 60% of the eligible cost up to a maximum of €100 per PTO shaft cover ex VAT, with farms eligible to receive funding on up to four covers.

The measure, which is funded by the National Exchequer, opened on 23 July and will remain open until Friday 7 November 2025.

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Application process

Participants (or their advisor) must complete an expression of interest via the agfood.ie facility before purchasing a PTO by selecting the ‘AgSchemes-Expression of Interest’ and then ‘National Farm Safety Measure 2025’ from the dropdown list.

The Department explains “Once your National Farm Safety Measure 2025 expression of interest is submitted online, the status immediately updates to ‘Submitted’ which means you are accepted into the measure.

Please note that a letter of acceptance into the measure does not issue”.

PTO shaft covers must meet the requirements of the European Standards EN 12965:2019 and must possess a clearly visible CE mark. All invoices/receipts must also state that the PTO shaft covers purchased meet EN 12965:2019.

Announcing the measure on Wednesday, Minister Healy-Rae said: “The greatest investment that farmers can make regarding farm safety is time – time to identify the hazards on the farm and time to put corrective actions in place.

I am encouraging farmers to take out their Farm Safety Code of Practice risk assessment, use it to identify and review the hazards around the farm such as inadequately protected PTO-shaft covers and to then put the necessary steps in place to minimise or eliminate the risks. When it comes to farm safety, complacency or inaction can be unforgiving.”

For further information see www.gov.ie/farmsafety