Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 81: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the progress made in relation to the programme for Government commitment to establishing a genetically modified free island; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44083/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

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

Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government which has responsibility for the deliberate release of 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

Department, Agriculture Fisheries and Food which has responsibility for the regulation of GM seeds, the co-existence of GM crops alongside non GM crops and matters relating to GM feed.

Following the publication of the commitment 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 the commitment began among the relevant Departments. While there is ongoing consideration on how best to advance this commitment, the general understanding is that the commitment relates to a process of discouraging the cultivation of GM crops in Ireland rather than discouraging the importation or consumption of authorised GM food or feed.

Consideration of the commitment is also taking place in the context of a number of EU Commission and Presidency initiatives aimed at streamlining the current EU regulatory process for the authorisation of GM products.