Ireland has no regulations to control the use of cloned animals in the Irish food chain, it emerged yesterday.
As it emerged that the first cloned dairy calf has been born in Britain, the Department of Agriculture and Food here said it was unaware of any embryos of cloned cattle having been imported.
The calf, named "Dundee Paradise", was born last month on a British midlands farm. Her mother was created in the US by using cells from the ear of a champion dairy Holstein cow.
When asked yesterday if there were any regulations governing the use of beef or milk from cloned animals here, the Department of Agriculture spokesman said there were none.
"We are examining the reports in the British media and I expect there will be a debate on this whole issue," he said.
This lack of control was attacked by the Labour Party spokeswoman on agriculture and food, Dr Mary Upton.
"I am very concerned about this lack of control because if such animals are being born in Britain it could be happening here," she said.
"The problem with cloned animals is that, from what we can gather, their immune systems are weaker than normally bred animals," she said.
"This, of course, leads to health breakdowns and infections and increased use of antibiotics to deal with such infections," she said.
She said she understood that the US authorities had sanctioned the use of meat and milk from cloned animals, but as far as she was concerned not enough was known about the process yet.
"We need controls and we need them fast. If there is any risk we must ensure consumers are protected," she said.
Kevin Dillon, chief executive of the Irish Holstein Friesian Association, said he believed there were no cloned animal embryos imported into Ireland.
"I think as yet it is an unproven technology but there may be people who wish to try it out," he said.
Lord Melchett, policy director of the Soil Association, said the British government's failure to impose regulatory controls on such cloning was "inexcusable".