Eric Byrne (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 399: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the position in relation to genetic modification, GM plant trials and biodiversity in general. [14250/12]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Responsibility for matters relating to Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) is spread across a number of Government Departments. My Department has responsibility for policy matters in relation to the deliberate release of GMOs into the environment and the contained use of GMOs. The Department of Health has responsibility for policy matters concerning genetically modified food and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is responsible for regulating seed of certain species for marketing and cultivation; regulating animal feed that contains or is derived from authorized GM crops; developing a national strategy to ensure the co-existence of authorized GM crops with other crops; and authorization and control of marketing of pesticides for use on crops, including GM crops.

National legislation in this area takes account of the common EU framework for assessment and control of GMOs, by which Ireland, in common with all Member States, is bound. EU legislation on GMOs has been in place since the early 1990's and is focused on two main objectives;

· To protect human health and the environment;

· To ensure free movement of safe genetically modified products in the European Union

The undertaking of field trials of GM crops is subject to the requirements of the Genetically Modified Organisms (Deliberate Release) Regulations 2003. An entity who wishes to carry out a field trial of a GMO must apply for approval to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as Irish competent authority for the purposes of these Regulations. As Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, I have no function in relation to the GMO licensing process in individual cases.

No GM crops are cultivated in Ireland so there is currently no impact on biodiversity, which is a matter for the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, or on other elements of the environment.