Discouraging GM crops, not feed, is government policy
“Following the publication of the commitment in the Programme for Government to seek to negotiate the establishment of an all Ireland GM free zone, a process of elaborating and teasing out the implications of the commitment began among the relevant Departments,” he told the Dáil.
He said while there is ongoing consideration on how best to advance this commitment, the general understanding is that the commitment relates to a process of discouraging cultivation of GM crops. The minister was replying to Deputy Seymour Crawford of Fine Gael, who asked what progress was made in the commitment to establish a genetically modified free island.
Meanwhile, Ireland has continued to abstain in crucial EU votes at standing committee and agriculture council levels on approving the imports of new genetically modified crops. Ireland was one of six member states to abstain when farm ministers recently fell short of consensus agreement to approve Roundup Ready2Yield soybean for use in food and feed.
Thirteen countries were in favour, eight against.
