Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 10: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food her views on holding an open and frank debate on the future direction of Government policy on genetically modified food; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7081/08]

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

Several Government Departments have responsibility for aspects of GM Policy, these are:

Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government which has responsibility for the deliberate release for GM's into the environment including for crop cultivation.

Department of Health and Children which has responsibility for GM food safety and consumer protection.

Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment has responsibility for developments in the biotechnology industry and R&D.

And my own Department, Agriculture Fisheries and Food which has responsibility for the regulation of GM seeds, including the co-existence of GM crops to ensure compliance with GM labelling regulations

Matters relating to the initial authorisation or otherwise of crops for cultivation here in Ireland are primarily a matter for the Minister for Environment. However my Department of course, works closely with that Department to ensure that all relevant factors are fully considered in decisions that will be taken.

Following the declaration in the Programme for Government to seek to negotiate the establishment of an all Ireland GM free zone, a process of elaborating and teasing out the implications of this commitment began with the setting up of a Senior Officials Group chaired by an official from the Department of the Taoiseach. This Group, which is composed of representatives from the Departments of ELHG, DAFF, DHC and DETE, has given consideration to matters relevant to the implementation of this commitment and has identified a number of issues which require further evaluation by the individual Departments. My Department is actively involved in this process.

My colleague, Minister Sargent, has in the past, and as late as yesterday when he addressed the Joint Oireachtas Committee for Agriculture Fisheries and Food, clarified that the commitment in the Programme for Government is not about banning imported feed but rather about seeking to negotiate the establishment of an all Ireland GM free zone so that we can avoid the release of live GMOs into the Irish environment.

Obviously, of most concern to this Department over the last twelve months or so is the dramatic increase in feed prices and the role GM asynchronisation has played in that. Both Minister Sargent and myself are having ongoing meetings and contact with the feed industry as a whole and with individual players in the industry so that all relevant aspects of this debate are addressed.

In view of the fact that the issue is being discussed so widely both within the House and at industry level, I am of the view that there is a sufficient level of debate taking place in regard to the future direction of policy on this issue.