Farming special - Day 2:  Higgins ‘very upset’ at level of suicide in rural areas

President Michael D Higgins has said he is "very upset" at the level to which suicide and rural isolation is hurting farming communities across Ireland.

The President was reacting to the findings of the first day of the Irish Examiner/ICMSA survey which found that more than half of farmers have been directly affected by suicide, either in their immediate family or community.

Some 16% of farmers had experienced it either in their immediate or wider family.