Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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Question 38: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food if she will review her stance on genetically modified crops on the basis that guarantees cannot be given into the future for health and safety in the absence of long term intergenerational health and safety assessments. [1937/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The Government's position on GMOs was adopted arising from the report of the interdepartmental group on modern biotechnology, published in October 2000, which recommended a positive but precautionary approach towards GMOs and biotechnology in general. I acknowledge the potential benefits from the use of modern biotechnology. However, it is critically important that the approval of GMOs is carried out under the most stringent controls and based on full scientific evidence to ensure that human health and the environment are fully safeguarded. I am satisfied that such safeguards are in place with the adoption by the Council and European Parliament over the past number of years of a raft of regulations on GMOs which also provide for consumer choice through the labelling provisions.

A determination on the health and safety of GM crops is made when an application is submitted for approval to put into circulation or cultivate a crop which contains a genetic modification not already approved within the EU. This approval process, which is initiated by the competent authority of the member state where the GM crop is first to be marketed, proceeds in accordance with the provisions and procedures as set out in EU Directive 2001/18. Within Ireland, responsibility for implementation of the provisions of that directive rests with the Environmental Protection Agency.

The GM area of direct relevance to my Department is that relating to the issue of the co-existence of the GM crop alongside non-GM crops. An interdepartmental inter-agency working group has been established to examine this issue and to draw up recommendations for the development of strategies and best practices for effective co-existence. Only GM crops which have received approval under EU Directive 2001/18, and thereby determined as being safe from a health and environmental perspective, will be allowed to be cultivated.