This year is the International Year of the Woman Farmer. It is a celebration and a call to action to improve visibility, opportunity and leadership for women in agriculture. Only approximately 13% of farm holders in Ireland are female, yet they make up approximately 34% of the agricultural workforce. This shows that many women work in significant roles on Irish farms, but that is not reflected in the ownership statistics. Where farmers have identified successors, over 80% of the identified successors are male. The cycle will continue.

I would like to ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Heydon, to come into the Chamber to talk about how he intends to celebrate the women in farming year and to have a debate on women in farming in general. I am not knocking male farmers at all. More power to them. However, women are playing a far more significant role than statistics are showing. Something needs to improve.