Mary White (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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Question 72: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the outcome of the recent review of the organic farming scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36076/09]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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My colleague Minister of State Sargent recently announced the outcome of the review of the Organic Farming Scheme under which support is paid to farmers in the sector.

It is my intention, subject to the outcome of the Estimates process and a review of the budgetary situation for 2010, to reopen the Organic Farming Scheme from 1 January 2010. The Scheme will be reopened with revised conditions and will include two main changes.

Firstly there will be a requirement for applicants to have completed an approved training course. The Courses have been organised by Teagasc and will start in the week commencing 20 October. A farmer who has previously participated in the Organic Farming supplementary measure of the Rural Environment Protection Scheme will be exempted from the requirement to complete this training course. Secondly, as part of the application process, all applicants will have to submit a detailed five-year business plan. The submission of this plan will help my officials to assess the level of farming activity and sustainability of the business of each individual application and, if the Scheme is over-subscribed, to identify those that are most likely to deliver increased organic output nationally.