Brian Leddin (Limerick City, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I welcome our guests and thank them for their attendance. Ms Westbrook said earlier that we should not be afraid to highlight the environmental attributes of organics. I could not agree more. Perhaps it is not said enough. One of the attributes she did not mention, which I am sure she would mention if she had another go, was reducing emissions, which is a significant focus of the State through to 2030 and beyond. It seems that if we can enhance the organic sector and set policy so that farmers are incentivised to get into it such that they get a fair price for the produce they bring to market, that seems to be a no-brainer for the State. I noticed that Ms Westbrook mentioned that the target is 7.5% organics by 2030 and that Europe is moving so we should move and not stick with the 7.5% target. I do not know whether she meant all elements of organics or whether it was one element in particular. Dr. Oliver Moore from University College Cork, UCC, wrote recently about how organics could take off in Ireland. He mentioned that 12% was being achieved in Normandy or Brittany in France. He was speaking about dairy farming. Does Ms Westbrook think this level is achievable in Ireland within the decade? What are the policy barriers to getting there?