Gardai investigating the attack on a trial crop of genetically-modified sugar beet at Ballymaloe in east Cork said yesterday they had a number of leads. Supt Dan Mullins renewed his appeal to anyone who may have seen anything suspicious in the Ballymaloe area between last Friday and Sunday to contact Midleton gardai at (021) 631324.
The US chemical company, Monsanto, which was conducting the trials at a site on the farm of a local man, Mr Dick Fitzgerald, said it had no plans to withdraw from Ireland because of the attacks.
The weekend sabotage was the fourth such attack on Monsanto trial sites in the past two years. A company spokesman said while such attacks hindered research, the company was strongly committed to the new technology.
Mr Fitzgerald said the weekend attack on the quarter-acre site at his outside farm at Ballymaloe would not deter him from hosting further trials for Monsanto.
"If Monsanto asks me, I would be willing to host trials again. I have no problem with hosting further trials but I'd have to discuss it closely with Monsanto to decide on a trial site. I probably wouldn't use the same site," Mr Fitzgerald said.
Monsanto's Ireland business manager, Dr Patrick O'Reilly, has admitted it would be difficult to safeguard against night-time sabotage by determined protesters.
"It's next to impossible other than provide 24-hour security on a trial crop for a full season to protect them adequately," he said.
But Dr O'Reilly ruled out holding the trials in secret, as that would only give credibility to claims that they were unsafe. "They are absolutely safe, fully approved, and they're not causing any adverse risk to the environment or to human health."