FF role criticised as EU votes for research using human embryos

THE European Parliament has voted to fund stem cell research using human embryos, although the ban on such research in Ireland will remain.

A compromise allowing funding for research only using frozen embryos created before 2003 was narrowly defeated.

Stem cells are used to create new tissue that could be used to treat illnesses such as Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes and multiple sclerosis. These building-block cells can be extracted from adult cells, blood from the umbilical cord and from embryos.

Those who object to the use of human embryos say it causes the destruction of a human life. The EU bans the creation of embryos specifically for research, but embryos left over from IV reproductive treatment may be used.

After the vote some Irish MEPs blamed the position taken by Fianna Fáil members of parliament for the defeat (by as few as 19 votes on some amendments). Fine Gael MEP Simon Coveney described as “inexplicable” the decision by the four government MEPs to vote against this compromise. “If they were serious in trying to limit research on embryos and the Church said they could live with that, I do not know why they voted against this compromise. It backfired, unfortunately, and now we have this, the worst situation.”

The Irish bishops issued a statement supporting a ban on human embryo stem cell research, but said that they could countenance the use of embryos created before 2003, as the amendment before Parliament proposed.

The four Fianna Fáil MEPs in a statement before the vote said they were absolutely opposed to all stem cell research using human embryos.

South MEP Kathy Sinnott said that while she would have preferred a complete ban she voted for the compromise of using only pre-2003 frozen embryos. “It was an attempt at damage control. I cannot understand why the UEN and their Fianna Fáil members did not vote for the compromise too”, she said. The research issue arose because the Parliament was voting through a budget of more than €50 billion for the Union’s research during 2007-2013.

This must be passed also by the member states.

Mr Coveney said it was now up to Enterprise Minister Micheál Martin to try to ensure that new embryos will not be used for research. He said that Irish taxpayers’ money should not be used in funding such research through EU programmes either. Germany, Slovakia, Poland, Malta and Austria say their money should not be used to fund such research.

Ireland’s position has been that it should be left up to each member state and funding should be refused to researchers in countries that ban it. Such research is only allowed in three EU countries, Britain, Belgium and Sweden. Eight such projects have been funded in the last seven year programme.

Under current EU law, no human cloning is allowed and neither is the production of human embryos solely for research purposes.