Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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Question 389: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the communication she has had with any company wishing to conduct genetically modified crop trials here. [24843/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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I have not engaged with any company wishing to conduct genetically modified crop trials in Ireland. The Environmental Protection Agency is the competent authority for the purposes of EU Directive 2001/18/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the deliberate release into the environment of genetically modified organisms, including for the purposes of field trialling.

Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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Question 390: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food her views on whether a genetically modified potato variety (details supplied), due to be grown in Summerhill, County Meath, was not destined or suitable for the Irish domestic market; and if, in view of the market sensitivity to genetically modified contamination, she will ensure the attempted genetically modified trial is not tried again. [24844/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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EU Directive 2001/18/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the deliberate release into the environment of genetically modified organisms lays down a binding, community-wide, framework for regulating the deliberate release of GMOs into the environment, including for the purposes of field trials and cultivation. Taking into account the precautionary principle, this framework seeks to ensure that high levels of protection are afforded to the environment and human health and requires, inter alia, the carrying out of a comprehensive environmental risk assessment, as part of the notification process, and post release monitoring.

Consideration of proposals to carry out GM trials is a matter for the Environmental Protection Agency, they being the competent authority for the purposes of Directive 2001/18/EC. It is open to any person or company to apply for permission to carry out such trialling and it is the competent authority's duty to take all relevant environmental and safety issues into account when considering the application.