Taking of life is ‘part and parcel of IVF’
It is proper, of course, that the public should be aware what science is doing, and should give its prior assent.
Most reports of the meeting in the print media, however, focused on the utterances of the panel of ‘experts’ and gave miniscule coverage to what the public had to say.
Among the important points made was that the taking of human life is part and parcel of IVF.
It was admitted by Ms Susi Leather, chairperson of the HFEA (Human Fertilisation Embryology Authority) in Britain that only 25% of implantations of human embryos are successful, the remainder being allowed to perish.
Others were of the view that the number of surplus embryos allowed to perish is significantly higher.
Embryos are also selected for destructive experimentation purposes.
These acts amount to the taking of human life, which is prohibited by the Irish constitution.
Aine O’Connor,
Cabra Road,
Dublin 7.
