Agriculture Committee to meet with the Organic Farmers Representative Body

7th October 2015

The meeting will commence at 10.00 am in Committee Room 4 tomorrow, Thursday, 8th October 2015.

Committee Chairman, Andrew Doyle TD, said “The organic farming sector in Ireland is one which offers strong potential for expansion in the future and so this presentation is one which Committee Members and I have a keen interest in. Food Harvest 2020 called for specific targets in the area of Organic Farming and we look forward to hearing the views of the Organic Farmers Representative Body on the supports that are in place to facilitate these targets and the specific effect of the Organic Farming Scheme”

“The Committee has been actively engaging in dialogue with the European Commission on the Organic Food Sector and last November submitted a Political Contribution on the topic to the Commission.”

The Organic Farming Scheme is administered by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and aims to deliver enhanced environmental and animal welfare benefits while encouraging producers to respond to the market demand for organically produced food.

Committee proceedings can be viewed live here: http://www.oireachtas.ie/parliament/watchlisten/live-flashplayer/committeeroom3/

Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the move, through the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.

Ends

Media Enquiries:

Liam O'Brien,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Communications Unit,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2
P: +353 1 618 4484
M: +353 86 189 5098
liam.obrien@oireachtas.ie

Committee Membership:

Chairman:

Andrew Doyle, (Fine Gael)

Deputies:

Tom Barry (Fine Gael); Pat Deering (Fine Gael); Martin Ferris (Sinn Féin); Martin Heydon (Fine Gael); Éamon Ó Cuív (Fianna Fáil); Willie Penrose (Labour Party); Thomas Pringle (Independent); Arthur Spring (Labour)

Senators:

Michael Comiskey, Denis Landy, Paschal Mooney, Mary Ann O’Brien, Brian Ó Domhnaill, Pat O’Neill