Irish farmers get three extra weeks to claim PTO shaft cover grant

Irish farmers now have until Friday, November 27 to apply for a grant covering up to four power take-off (PTO) shaft covers, after Minister of State for farm safety Niall Collins extended the deadline by three weeks. The original closing date was Friday, November 6.

The extension applies to both expressions of interest and applications for payment under the National Farm Safety Measure. The scheme provides 60% grant aid on a maximum eligible cost of €100 for up to four PTO shaft covers, meaning farmers can recoup most of the cost of replacing damaged or missing guards on their machinery.

The application sequence matters. A farmer or a Farm Advisory System (FAS)-approved advisor must submit an expression of interest before purchasing the covers. Once that expression of interest is lodged, the application for payment — the claim — must reach the department no later than the new November 27 deadline. Farmers who buy first and register later risk losing eligibility.

Receipts must confirm that the PTO shaft covers purchased meet the quality standards set out in the scheme's terms and conditions, so checking specification before purchase is a practical necessity rather than paperwork detail.

Why the scheme exists

The safety case behind the measure is stark. Farm vehicles and machinery accounted for almost half of the 177 fatal incidents on Irish farms in the ten-year period from 2016 to 2025. Entanglement in PTO shafts specifically caused two fatalities on Irish farms in the last three years.

Announcing the extension, Minister Collins said: "I am extending the deadline for making expressions of interest and for submitting applications for payment by three weeks to Friday, November 27."

He was blunt about the risk on Irish farms. "There is machinery on farms around the country with defective or missing PTO shaft covers that present a major safety risk," he said.

What should farmers do now?

The minister's advice is a five-minute machinery check. "I urge all farmers to take a few minutes over the next few days to check the condition of PTO shaft covers on farm machinery, and where damaged or missing, to avail of this measure to have them replaced," Collins said.

A PTO shaft transfers power from a tractor to an attached machine such as a mower or slurry pump. When the rotating shaft's guard is cracked or absent, loose clothing can wrap around it within a fraction of a second — the mechanism behind entanglement injuries and deaths.

Collins also framed the grant within a wider safety obligation. "Most, if not all, safety incidents on farms are preventable," he said. "By assessing the risks and taking the necessary steps, fatal and non-fatal incidents can be prevented."

He added: "Ensuring that protective guards, including PTO shaft covers, are in place and keeping tractors and machinery well maintained are critical when it comes to reducing the number of fatal and lifechanging incidents involving farm vehicles and machinery."

The practical checklist

• Submit an expression of interest before buying any covers — directly or through an FAS-approved advisor.
• Buy up to four compliant PTO shaft covers; grant aid covers 60% of eligible costs up to €100.
• Keep receipts that confirm the covers meet the quality standards in the terms and conditions.
• File the application for payment by Friday, November 27.

Farmers with damaged guards on high-use machines should treat the three-week window as the operative deadline. Anything not claimed by November 27 will be replaced at full personal cost.