IRELAND: Irish opponents of genetically modified crops reacted to the findings yesterday of the UK-study to strengthen their position. Both the Green Party and Sinn Féin said they would fight any move to bring GM products to Ireland.
"The Green Party will lead the campaign to protect not only consumers, but also the countryside, from GM crop contamination," said Mr Trevor Sargent, the Green Party leader.
Ms Patricia McKenna MEP, called on the Government to impose a ban on GM crops. "The results clearly give a thumbs down to genetically modified crops. In Ireland there is a huge potential for clean, green products. We don't need the modified products," she maintained.
The Department of the Environment and the Environmental Protection Agency would not comment until they had time to examine the results.
Sinn Féin agriculture spokesmen Mr Gerry McHugh and Mr Martin Ferris also opposed the introduction of GM products.
Their statement called for "a GM free Ireland" to prevent what they referred to as cross-contamination.
"We are under the impression that genetically modified organisms are on one side of the fence and organic products are on the other. That's not the case at all," said Mr Tom Prenderville, an environmental campaigner with Friends of the Earth Ireland, who called GM planting "disastrous".
Greenpeace UK said: "These trials were a political fudge that did not begin to address the possible catastrophic effects that planting GM seeds could bring about."