Stem cell research gets State support

THE Government has said it will support stem cell research on human embryos in the EU despite Fianna Fáil members in the European Parliament voting against it yesterday.

Following an emotional debate and a closer than expected vote in favour of the issue in Strasbourg, Munster MEP Brian Crowley asked the Taoiseach to reconsider the government’s position.

Fine Gael added to the pressure demanding a Green Paper be published on stem cell research and fully debated in the Dáil before the government makes any decision on it at an EU level.

The Catholic Bishops of Europe warned that allowing the destruction of human embryos for research would open the door to further developments and added that life was sacred from conception.

However, Tánaiste Mary Harney, told the Seanad the Government supports the proposals on the research because it does not force any country to do anything it considers is not legal or ethical.

The ministers, including Ms Harney, are expected to consider the proposal when they meet in Brussels next week.

Ms Harney said the proposal offered a set of strict guidelines.

If these were not adopted there would be a very uncertain situation with no ethical standards for such research. “That is why we believe that there is great benefit in putting in place the stringent guidelines and safeguards which are at the core of the commission’s proposal,” she said.

But Mr Crowley said the danger was that researchers would only use embryos for stem cell research and would not avail of cells from other sources, such as adults.

He did not believe refusing to fund it would prevent such research in Britain, one of the few European countries where it is allowed. It would simply not provide EU money for the research.

Stem cells are basic cells from which all other cells grow and researchers believe they can be used to help people suffering from Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and diabetes.

The guidelines would allow funding from the EU’s 2.25m biotechnology research budget to be spent on stem cell projects that used cells from spare embryos a few days old created during infertility treatment which are due to be destroyed.

Research using embryos is not allowed in Ireland, Spain, Austria, France, Germany and Denmark.

The European Parliament has no power in the area and was simply consulted on the issue. Proposals from MEPs for even stricter guidelines were defeated and the proposal was passed by 300 votes to 210 with 19 abstaining.

The total EU research budget for the next three years is 16 billion.

Irish projects received 115m in the last programme and since January, have qualified for over 40 million.