David is a Senior Research Officer at Teagasc, the Irish Agriculture and Food Development Authority, working within the Rural Economy and Development Programme where he leads the Department of AgriFood Business and Spatial Analysis.


David’s research centres on understanding and supporting the social sustainability of farming through a focus on working and living conditions of current and future farmers, farm workers and farm families. Ongoing and recent research projects that David led include SafeHabitus (2023 – 2026), BeSafe (2019 – 2024) and ReNew2050 (2022 – 2024). This body of research seeks to understand how structural forces (drivers of change) shaping farming influence working and living conditions and the resulting impacts and implications for the physical, including occupational safety, and mental health of farmers.
Applying multiactor/participatory research approaches, the research programme provides evidence to support policy development and works with farm advisors, farmers and policy stakeholders to co-design and evaluate training initiatives that enable farmers and farm workers to adopt safer or healthier practices. Recent research topics include farm safety, mental health and wellbeing, rural isolation, eldercare in farm households, generational renewal, and, more broadly, agriculture and rural development.
David has published in a variety of international, peer reviewed journals, book chapters and edited a number of books. Related to this work, David supervises PhD students and Post-Doctoral researchers. This portfolio of research projects supports David’s work with agricultural and rural policy development stakeholders in Ireland and the EU.
David completed his PhD in 2012 (Maynooth University), was awarded an MLitt (1998) and BA (1995) from University College Dublin and received a Higher Diploma in Statistics from Trinity College Dublin (2014).