Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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Question 302: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the expenditure by his Department on the promotion and staging of the national organic week; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34542/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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National Organic Week, now in its fourth year, is an important event and serves to raise awareness among consumers about what organic food and farming is all about and where they can get organic produce. National Organic Week ran this year from 15 to 21 September and a wide range of events took place nationwide. The total cost to my Department will be in the region of €280,000.

There is a commitment in the Programme for Government to increase the land area under organic production to 5% of the total utilisable agriculture area by 2012. This projected increase, from 1% currently, has to be market-driven and that is why events such as National Organic Week are very important, not only in raising awareness of organic food, but also in increasing sales of locally produced organic food.