Call for fertility clinics watchdog

A Government watchdog is urgently needed for Irish fertility clinics that help up to 8,000 couples every year to have babies, it was claimed today.

The Oireachtas Health Committee called for an independent regulator to ensure people who provide assisted human reproduction services are licensed, registered and properly qualified.

It is studying the recommendations of a report by the 20-member commission on Assisted Human Reproduction, which was set up in 2000 by the Government to study the issue.

Committee chairman John Moloney said up to 8,000 couples seek assisted reproductive assistance every year through nine clinics and 1,000 babies are born as a result in this way.

“There is no regulation whatsoever. People who staff these clinics may not have relevant professional expertise. There are no statistics or fees structure,” he said.

Mr Moloney, a Fianna Fáil TD, said the issues like stem cell research, artificial insemination, surrogacy, cloning and sex determination posed fundamental ethical questions for the all-party committee.

Commission chairperson Professor Dervilla Donnelly told committee members that an independent statutory regulatory body must be set up and be accountable to the Minister for Health.

Labour health spokesperson Liz McManus said she could not think of a better advance in science than to offer a couple the chance to have a child.

But she added: “It is rather disturbing that there is no regulation. That is untenable.”

Dr Jerry Cowley said an independent regulatory body was essential to prevent the exploitation of embryos but he hailed medical advances in assisted human reproduction.

“The exploitation of embryos is a major challenge to deal with,” he said.

But he added: “Superman died looking for something nobody could give to him, which was regeneration of the spine.”

Senator Mary Henry, who said she tabled a Seanad motion on the issue in the late 1990s, said the quality of care and the safety of patients was paramount.

It was a complex issue because of huge emotional involvement as well as financial implications, she noted.

But she added: “It may be irresponsible of us as a society to wait for 20 years to decide on this issue while we are stopping a man and a woman from the chance to have a child.”

The Commission on Assistant Human Reproduction report said that embryos should only enjoy legal protection after being implanted in a woman’s body.