Paul Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I have a brief related question and I do not know if Mr. Callanan can answer it. In any or all of the deliberations on this has the idea of genome editing or clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats, CRISPR, been included in the debate? I am not talking about genetic modification. CRISPR is where the genomes of similar plants are crossed to come up with a variety that could be resistant. I know it is a contradiction to say naturally resistant when we are talking about modifying it genetically but it is not as frowned on as all out genetic modification. Is it being considered in any area in any of the debates as an alternative? One would not need a pesticide if there is a plant that is naturally resistant, although I emphasise again that it is not natural if it is almost manufactured. Such a plant could be resistant to pesticide in its own right. It may well be a route of travel we will eventually have to take. I am specifically asking about it in regard to this debate. Has it been given any consideration?