James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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448. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has examined ways to limit reliance on imported genetically modified crops to support tillage farming here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44012/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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In Ireland, up to 80% of animal feed for ruminants is provided by grass, hay and silage, complemented where appropriate, by compound feeds. In the case of pigs and poultry, virtually all their nutrition is derived from compound feeds. Ireland imports approx 2.8 million tonnes (2016 figures) of animal feed materials per annum and the total annual usage of feed materials is approx. 4.9 million tonnes. Given our dependence on imported sources and the predominance of GM crops internationally, this has impacted on the volume of GM feed used on Irish Farms. However, significant quantities of non-GM maize and oilseed rape meal are also imported from continental Europe, including Ukraine.

Ireland, due to its high proportion of livestock production compared to tillage area, is especially dependent on feed imports relative to other EU Member States. The pig, poultry and dairy sectors are particularly dependent on imports of GM soybean and GM maize by-products as these are essential ingredients in the formulation of these feed rations.

The European Union is itself only 35% self-sufficient in high-protein supplement supplies for animal feed. Soybean is the most favoured vegetable protein because of its nutritional efficacy and competitive cost. A significant quantity of soybean and maize from North and South America, where GMO cultivation is widespread, is essential therefore to satisfy the protein requirements in animal nutrition within the EU.

My Department supports increased domestic production of native protein crops primarily through the national coupled protein support payment. Since its introduction in 2015, the area of protein crops, mainly beans, has increased from an average of 4,000 ha to 11,000 ha.

Supporting the tillage sector is an important strategic objective of my Department. Through a range of measures including access to low cost finance (SBCI loans), support for investment in efficient mechanisation (TAMS) and favourable tax incentives for land leasing upon which the sector is particularly dependent, have all been introduced to support the sector.