Marcella Corcoran Kennedy (Offaly, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I have questions for Professor Doohan on a number of issues. I refer to the depletion of soil and nutrients, not only here but globally. Can she indicate how that will be handled? If our population globally is increasing as we try to cope with the impact of climate change and if we are losing our soil at the rate we appear to be, how can we counteract that? Has Professor Doohan done research in that area?

The other question is on diversification. What is happening in respect of high-protein plants that can be for both human and animal use? The witness also mentioned limited crop breeding in Ireland. What does she mean by that? What are we focusing on here and what could we potentially focus on here that we are not focusing on at the moment? I also had the question that Deputy McConalogue asked as to when does enhancing crops through selective breeding become genetic modification, GM, or not GM. There is quite a movement against GM and it would great if the witness clarified the difference between the two.