Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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244. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if organic farmers who were excluded from the electronic payment system in 2015 will be paid before Christmas 2015; if these organic farmers will be added to the electronic payment system from now on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41461/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Processing of Organic Farming Scheme (OFS) payments to participants in the current scheme has already commenced. Every effort is being made to ensure that the first instalment of this year's Organic Farming Scheme payment will issue before Christmas to all eligible farmers who pass the required administrative checks.

A new IT-based system is also being developed to replace manual payment systems for all Organic Farming Scheme participants. Those who made online applications to join the new Organic Farming Scheme this year are being moved first to the new platform, but it is my intention to transfer all payments on to the new platform as soon as possible.