A £25 million agri-food biotechnology research programme announced yesterday by the State farm development authority, Teagasc, has been described by the Green Party as "GM research through the back door".
Teagasc pledged to assess the "environmental and consumer" implications of genetically-modified foodstuffs. GM research would account for "between 10 and 15 per cent at most" of the programme's overall budget, head of public relations, Mr Michael Miley, said.
The Green Party TD, Mr John Gormley, accused the agency of "pandering to the global mega-corporations" instead of "responding to the concerns and needs of ordinary consumers".
