Rural and farming communities have been affected heavily by suicide.

According to the poll, 21% of those surveyed said they have been directly affected by deaths by suicide. Twenty-seven per cent of farmers in the 35 to 44 age bracket were personally affected.

Of those surveyed, one-third (33%) said farming was a lonely profession, with 36% saying farming is a sociable job.

Almost one in three (31%) of those surveyed said either they or a close family member had been involved in a farming accident.

This rose to 38% among the age group of farmers 18 to 34. Exactly 39% of farmers in Leinster said they or a close relation was involved in a farming accident.

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Full coverage of our Red C poll of 1,000 farmers