The consultation document will set the course for development of biotechnology in Ireland, including its most controversial element, genetically modified (GM) food production. Future policy is expected to address what are understood to be its initial findings, including:
GM products undergo rigorous assessment before release into the environment but risk evaluation must be strengthened.
Lack of information on complexities of genetic modification leads to public confusion and unfounded concerns.
Ireland is in a position to exploit biotechnology with high employment potential.
Concerns about the use of antibiotic resistance markers and the bt toxin gene, possible ecosystem damage and allergic effects.
Genetic modification is the use of technology to alter the genetic properties of micro-organisms (bacteria, fungi and viruses), plants and animals in a way that does not occur naturally. It is the central process of modern biotechnology, ie making a genetically modified organism (GMO) capable of producing new substances or perform new functions.
The technology is in wide use within the chemical, brewing and pharmaceutical industries, but increasingly GMOs are being released into the environment as seeds and crops. Until now plants have been modified to resist the effects of herbicides, fungicides and insecticides, but increasingly they will be modified to provide additional nutritional benefits and medicinal compounds such as vaccines. Gene modification is also central to development of new gene therapy treatments to combat serious illness and disability.
