Opposition stages walkout over lack of IVF legislation
OPPOSITION parties staged a walkout of an Oireachtas committee yesterday in protest at the Government’s lack of progress in introducing legislation to regulate IVF treatment.
Fine Gael health spokesman Liam Twomey joined his Labour counterpart Liz McManus and independent senator Mary Henry in objecting to proposals by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health to defer issuing a final report on the subject until it held a further series of public consultation.
They also claimed the urgent need for legislation was highlighted by the case before the High Court in which the estranged husband of a woman is opposing her wish to have another child by using eggs fertilised with his sperm.
A sub-committee has already spent several months examining last year’s report by the Commission on Assisted Human Reproduction which made 40 recommendations including the establishment of a new body to regulate infertility treatment.
Opposing a further round of consultation, Mr Twomey called on the Government “to stop dragging its heels” on the issue. He accused Fianna Fáil members of the committee of making a dramatic U-turn after they had previously signalled their opposition to any further consultation.
Mrs McManus said proposals to hold more discussions on the issue was a cynical attempt to further delay matters at a time when so many people were dependent on IVF treatment to have children.
“If someone wanted to set up some bizarre service, there would be nothing to stop them,” she said.
She warned that further consultation was a waste of taxpayers’ money and would prove “a completely sterile exercise.”
However, Fianna Fáil TD Jimmy Devins urged the committee to withhold any recommendation until the conclusion of the current High Court case.
Although he recognised the need for progress on the matter, Dr Devins said it would be foolhardy not to hold further consultation with interested parties.
The hearing was adjourned until tomorrow when the issue will be discussed further.
