Vol. 395 No. 3
96 Mr. Garland asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food, in light of the steadily decreasing range of seed varieties available and of the predicted change in our climate due to the greenhouse effect, if the Government will develop a policy on conserving genetic resources and set up a gene bank; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
There has been no decrease in the available number of agricultural seed varieties. The International Board for Plant Genetic Resources (IBPGR) of which Ireland is a member was established under the aegis of FAO in 1976. Its basic function is to promote and co-ordinate an international network of genetic centres to further the collection and conservation of germplasm and it has collected over 100,000 samples since then. The germplasm stored by them is available to plant breeders here if they require it.
As part of the European Co-Operative Programme for Plant Genetic Resources organised by IBPGR, Ireland has contributed any unique varieties of grasses, clovers and cereals to breeders and gene banks throughout Europe.
Supplies of germplasm are maintained here by my Department, Department of Forestry, Teagasc and the universities. Collecting and maintaining germplasm is very expensive and setting up our own gene bank is not necessary when we have access to the international network of genetic centres.
