Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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Question 63: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food if her attention has been drawn to the insurance industry's stance on covering Irish farmers in the case of genetically modified organisms being found on their farms due to cross-contamination; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40577/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The difficulties presented by the reluctance of the insurance industry to offer insurance cover to growers of GM crops was identified by the Interdepartmental Group established within my Department to draw up strategies and best practices to ensure that efficient and effective co-existence of GM and non-GM crops in Ireland. In order to address these difficulties and help create an environment which facilitates the choice of enterprise, be it organic, conventional or GM, the Working Group has recommended the establishment of a redress fund to compensate conventional and organic crop growers for any verifiable economic loss identified. My Department is currently engaged in the process of considering all the recommendations set out in the Working Group's Report in conjunction with the submissions received in the public consultation process held last March.