Call for stem cell research vote after UCC decision

THE lord mayor of Cork has called for a national referendum on whether or not embryonic stem cell research should be permitted following the decision of University College Cork to allow it.

The governing body of UCC yesterday voted in favour of the proposal, but the controversial vote was only won by the narrowest of margins — 16 to 15 votes, the Irish Examiner has learnt.

According to the university, the research will be carried out under the strictest ethical guidelines, but lord mayor Brian Bermingham, a member of the governing body, said he was against it and that the Government had to step in and develop a national plan to deal with the issue. He said the Irish people should be allowed to decide.