Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

We are advertising the country by means of the Origin Green programme, which is right as we have the potential to be a really green agricultural country, but that is not helped by the fact that when it comes to the league table for organic production we are second last in Europe. That beggars belief in a period when, according to a recent assessment by Bord Bia, the market is growing by something like 23% per annum.

The organic scheme was hugely successful when it was launched in 2014 to 2015 but it was then closed. When will we reopen the scheme? When are we going to show ambition in that regard? This has been talked about now for two years. Farmers are waiting. I know there is a consultation process but there is urgency attached to going in this direction. What does the Minister intend doing?

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