Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 27 January 2005
71 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if she will report on the work of the working group to develop a national strategy for the co-existence of genetically modified food and other crops; and if she will identify interested parties which made submissions to the working group. [1934/05]
View answerAs the Deputy may be aware an inter-departmental-interagency working group was established within my Department in October 2003 for the purposes of identifying and evaluating the issues and implications for crop production in Ireland that would arise from the cultivation of GM crops; and developing proposals for a national strategy and best practices to ensure the co-existence of GM crops with conventional and organic farming.
The working group hopes to be in a position to submit a report to my Department shortly. In its efforts to engage with the widest possible constituency, the working group wrote to 35 organisations, considered as likely stakeholders, seeking their observations and informing them that if they so wished, they could meet with members of the working group. These organisations represented environmental groups, farmer organisations, the seed trade, the biotech industry and consumer groups. To date, submissions have been received from 28 organisations and the working group has met ten of these stakeholders. The list of stakeholders contacted and those from whom submissions were received are set out below.
Submissions were received from the following stakeholders:
Agricultural Consultants Association (ACA)
Agricultural Science Association (ASA)
An Taisce
Animal and Plant Health Association
Bord Bia
BTEI, Tralee, Co. Kerry
Cavan-Leitrim Environmental Awareness Network (CLEAN)
Con Cremin, Limerick
Consumers Association of Ireland
Cropsure Ltd.
Demeter Standards Ltd.
Dromcollogher Organic College, Limerick
Federation of Irish Beekeeping Associations
GM-Free Ireland
IBEC
Irish Creamery and Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA)
Irish Cattle and Sheep Association (ICSA)
Irish Doctors Environmental Association
Irish Farmers Association (IFA)
Irish Organic Farmers and Growers Association (IOFGA)
Irish Seed Savers
Irish Seed Trade Association
Kerry Earth Education Project
Leitrim Farmers Co-op
Organic Trust Limited
Teagasc Advisory Service
Vegetable Unit, Oughterard, Galway
Scoil Nuachabhail.
Submissions were also invited from the following groups:
Irish Association of Agricultural Contractors
Irish Sugar Ltd.
Irish Grain and Feed Association
Irish Insurance Federation
Macra-na-Feirme
Maize Growers Association.
