Ahern urged to block embryo research
In the first face-to-face meeting between the hierarchy and Mr Ahern since he became Taoiseach in 1997, the delegation of six - led by Cardinal Desmond Connell - expressed their outright opposition to guidelines proposed by the EU Commission that would allow funding for stem-cell research on human embryos, created in test-tubes before 2002.
The EU's Council of Ministers will take a final vote on November 29 on whether or not it will allocate 300,000 to stem-cell research.
The meeting, which lasted for 90 minutes, was requested by the bishops and also discussed euthanasia, human cloning and Government plans to attempt to insert a reference to God in the final draft of the new EU constitution, if wording can be agreed - there is no reference to God or to Christianity in the current draft.
While there was general agreement on the three other issues the Government is opposed to human cloning and to euthanasia the bishops argued that the Government should adopt a strong line opposing the funding of stem-cell research at the Council meeting, which will be attended by Tánaiste Mary Harney.
The Taoiseach, who was accompanied by Minister for Foreign Affairs Brian Cowen, told the delegation that nothing would be funded by the EU budget in Ireland that would not be compatible with the law or with the current Medical Council
guidelines. According to his spokeswoman, the Taoiseach also pointed out that Ireland would insist on its ethical autonomy on such issues.
Fr Kevin Doran, the bishops' expert advisor in this area, said their position was that the Government, as EU partners, should exercise leadership on this matter.
"They reflected on the views of the bishops," he said. "I did not sense that there was any negativity or hostility to our views. The situation is a very complex one, but our view is that we wanted the Irish Government to oppose it on the grounds of respect and dignity for Irish life."
It is expected there will be further contact between the two parties in the run-up to the November 29 vote.
The legal situation in Ireland has been complicated because the Government-appointed commission to examine all areas of assisted human reproduction has yet to finalise its recommendations. Its report was due to be published last June.
