Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 24 March 2004
63 Mr. Ferris asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he will make a statement on the possible implications for agriculture of the decision by the British Government to allow the commercial growing of a GM crop. [9249/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe recent announcement by the UK Government refers to the approval for the commercial cultivation of the GM herbicide-tolerant maize variety known as Chardon LL, subject to the variety being successful in the application for entry onto the UK national catalogue of approved varieties for marketing. This GM variety was first approved in 1998 for deliberate release within the EU under the then Directive 90/220. Spain was the only member state which registered that GM variety on its national catalogue.
If that crop is grown in Northern Ireland, the issue is one of co-existence to ensure that it does not contaminate conventional or organic crops grown in this country. To develop proposals for a national strategy and best practices to ensure the co-existence of GM crops with conventional and organic farming, I have established an interdepartmental-interagency working group to carry out that task. The working group, as part of its work programme, proposes to meet and discuss the issue with relevant stakeholders in the preparation of its recommendations, and those discussions will include the Northern Ireland authorities with particular reference to their coexistence strategies.
