Fine Gael urges action on GM policy

FINE GAEL is seeking a full debate on the GM issue “instead of government policy being determined by awkward attempts at consensus between Fianna Fáil and the Greens”.

The party’s spokesman on agriculture and food, Michael Creed TD, said the best way to facilitate such a debate is to establish a Dáil committee on science and technology.

He said this would, as its first function, facilitate a fully informed debate on GM food, feed and crops and their use or otherwise in this country.

“Since the Dáil committees have not yet been established now is the ideal time to set up this specific forum,” he said.

Mr Creed said government indecision on this issue is making it harder for farmers to plan.

However, the GM-free Ireland Network said the committee envisaged by Fine Gael would inevitably be co-opted by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, Teagasc and the IFA.

The lobby group said it would undoubtedly be transformed into a marketing exercise for Monsanto, BASF and other agri-biotech corporations who are intent on controlling Ireland’s food supply via their patented GM crops.

This would be followed by a faction fight between partisan politicians. Ordinary farmers and consumers would not have any real say, it claimed.

GM-free Ireland Network said what is needed is a national and international conversation between all stakeholders to find the best way forward.