Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 162: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food if she has considered the future economic advantage to the economy here if Ireland was a genetically modified organism production free area in the context of a world where few such nation states could so be described; if she will commission an evaluation study to determine the answer to this question as a follow-up to its Economic Evaluation of a GM Free Country an Irish Case Study carried out by Teagasc, which did not consider a scenario in which 100% of crop and livestock producers did not adopt GMO technology and did not consider a scenario in which a market price premium and demand increase might reasonably be inferred in the absence of many other GMO free production zones worldwide for GMO production free countries; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32871/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Ireland cannot unilaterally declare itself as a GM free region and as a consequence prohibit the cultivation and use of authorised GM crops and products within the country. EU legislation on GMOs which has been adopted by the European Parliament and the Council under the co-decision procedure is binding on all member states. As outlined to the House on previous occasions, the only way regions can remain GM production free is if there is a voluntary agreement among all land owners in that particular region to desist from the growing of GM crops or if, on the basis of accepted scientific evidence, the cultivation of a particular GM crop can affect the environment or human and animal health.

Furthermore, the Irish feed industry imports from outside the EU significant quantities of feed ingredients, such as maize and soya, which are required for animal production here. Much of these imports are sourced from GM crops which have been authorized for marketing within the Community.

The issues surrounding GM and non-GM farm production will continue to be monitored by my Department in consultation with the relevant stakeholders and further studies may be necessary in light of a changing market situation, alternative land uses and other factors.