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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 10 Mar 1999

Vol. 502 No. 1

Written Answers. - Genetically Modified Organisms.

Brendan Daly

Question:

140 Mr. Daly asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will give details of the membership and terms of reference of the GMO sub-committee of the Food Safety Authority; the recommendations, if any, the sub-committee has made to him; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7294/99]

The GMO and Novel Foods Sub-Committee was originally set up as a working group under the auspices of the Microbiology Committee of the Food Safety Advisory Board and held its first meeting on November 14, 1996.

Section 35(1) of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland Act, 1998, allows for the board or the scientific committee of the authority to establish subcommittees to advise it in relation to the performance of its functions.

The GMO and Novel Foods Sub-Committee advises my Department on an on-going basis on issues in the area of genetic modification of foodstuffs. The sub-committee also affords a forum for the exchange of expert scientific opinion and advice on this new technology and its application to food. The work of the sub-committee is on-going commensurate with developments in the area of genetic modification.

The GMO and Novel Foods Sub-Committee acts as the assessment body for applications made under Regulation (EC) No 258/97 on novel foods and novel food ingredients. To date, no application for the placing of a novel food on the Irish market has been made to my Department (as the Irish Competent Authority) although the sub-committee has commented on a number of applications which have been made to other member states.

The committee also comments on the human health aspects of applications made under Directive 90/220/EEC on the deliberate release of genetically modified organisms into the environment. This directive is the responsibility of my colleague the Minister for the Environment and it is enforced on his behalf by the Environmental Protection Agency.

A list of members of this sub-committee is as follows:

Dr. Colin Hill (Chairman)

Department of Microbiology University College Cork

Dr. Philip Buckley

Department of Arts, Heritage, the Gaeltacht and the Islands

Dr. Philip Dix

Bilogy Department University of Maynooth

Dr. Gerald Fitzgerald

Department of Microbiology University College Cork

Dr. James Fleming

A.I. Dairy Inspectorate Department of Agriculture and Food

Dr. Tommy Gallagher

Botany Department University College Dublin

Prof. Matt Harmey

Botany Department University College Dublin

Dr. Tony Kavanagh

Department of Genetics Trinity College Dublin

Dr. Kevin Kelleher

Director of Public Health Mid-Western Health Board

Dr. Brian Leech

Department of the Environment and Local Government

Dr. Brendan Lynch

Animal Scientist Teagasc

Dr. Tom McLoughlin

Environmental Protection Agency

Ms Maeve O'Brien

Department of Health and Children

Ms Kathryn Raleigh

Food, Drink and Tobacco Federation IBEC

Dr. Paul Ross

Teagasc

Dr. Frank van Pelt

Lecturer in Toxicology/Biochemical Pharmacology University College Cork

Dr Douwe vanSinderen

Department of Microbiology University College Cork

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