Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael)
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89. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when the organic scheme will be open for new entrants in 2016. [44460/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The first tranche of the new Organic Farming Scheme attracted an unprecedented level of applications, with the result that we have already met virtually all our targets in this area for the entire Rural Development Programme. This is a remarkable outcome and testifies to the strength of the consultation process which has lead to the design of a scheme which seems to answer a great many of the needs of the sector. The second tranche of the Organic Farming Scheme is now open for farmers who wish to convert to organic farming in 2016 and to organic farmers whose current contract ends on 31 December 2015. The closing date for the Scheme is 31 December 2015. The requirement for a further tranche will be reviewed in 2016 mindful of expressions of interest and availability of funding.