Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail)

I welcome the Minister of State and his officials to the House. I thank Senators Quinn, Henry, O'Toole, Ross and Norris for tabling this motion. At our party meeting I was anxious that no amendment would be proposed to the motion and I am pleased the Minister of State is in agreement. This matter affects everybody and is not a political issue in the sense of party politics, but it could have a significant effect on the economy. I have always tried to achieve agreement on such motions.

In this case, Senator Quinn is both a consumer and a distributor and is very knowledgeable about food production and traceability. In my experience as a former trade Minister, I am aware of his credibility in this matter. His company was ahead of its time in dealing with any problems associated with products. Senator Henry has the technical information which is very helpful to the debate. Senator Feighan is the Fine Gael spokesman and has been very responsible in this regard.

Genetically modified foods and farming are viewed with great suspicion due to the lack of clarity about the impact on humans and the environment. However, recent studies have shown GM foods to have rather more positive than negative effects. Those opponents of GM foods argue that not enough studies have been undertaken to guarantee their safety and I agree. The Government has taken a positive but cautionary approach to GM foods, which I regard as reasonable. The Minister of State is a chemist and has experience in this regard. He would be very careful to ascertain the traceability of these products. It has been claimed that foods containing GM elements which are not labelled as GM are available in Ireland. The proposal for the introduction into Ireland of sweetcorn produced from genetically modified maize has caused considerable controversy.

The EU Agriculture Council failed to agree on this issue at its meeting on 26 April 2004. The decision was then passed on to the European Commission which, on 19 May, chose to allow the new varieties to be put on the market. Some argue that the European Commission should not have the power to make this decision, that it should be a political decision and not one taken by an unelected body. The further development of GM technology cannot be avoided. The Commission has listed 23 GM products awaiting approval for release on the European markets and more will follow.

I proposed at a committee meeting that all GM foods should be labelled and even the smallest percentage of GM ingredients should be listed. The consumer should be informed whether a product contains a GM element. Concern has been expressed at the involvement of major companies. This is a globalisation issue and it is clear that there is modification.

My greatest concern is that GM foods contain genes not only from plants but from animal species. Food has always evolved naturally and farmers have always experimented with different breeding techniques to improve the quality of food. The introduction of an animal species into a plant species is a cause for most concern. As the motion states, this requires comprehensive debate and analysis both in this country and throughout Europe.

Ireland has a tradition of producing quality food. I have an organic farm which is managed by my wife. She is a fully qualified and registered organic farmer. We would be very concerned at any production of GM crops close to our farm. The transmission of seeds cannot be controlled, simply because of the wind and birds. As a trade Minister I was selling beef to Iran during times of scares. I could always say that they should come to Irish farms to see how the beef is produced. The same transparency and reputation would not exist if GM crops were being grown in neighbouring farms. Genetically modified crops and food have been allowed in different places.

I am concerned about the number of Departments dealing with this issue. I suggest the Department of Health and Children should be the sole Department dealing with it. It would be the most appropriate Department rather than the Department of Agriculture and Food as it deals with the health of the population.

I am deeply concerned about the control of GM foods. Senator Quinn has spoken of his contacts with different companies abroad who are committed to the production of GM foods. Those who control the GM crop control the seed and costs will spiral. At present seeds are produced organically at local level. This is an ongoing debate and I hope the House will return to this subject. I am a sceptic because I believe that when one modifies food, one cannot foretell the end result. There has been an unfortunate increase in cancer and other diseases throughout the world and something must cause it. When people ate food that was simply and organically produced without the use of chemicals, they were much healthier. I suggest we step back to examine the issue. Weeds have become strong as a result of modification. We have no idea what the effect of modifying a product will be. No one can say what will happen. I am pleased the Minister of State has an input because he is a man with knowledge in this field. His Department has been excellent in this regard. I commend this motion to the House and fully support it.