Senator calls for cross-party support for Bill to prohibit destruction of embryos.

Rónán Mullen moves Bill to prohibit embryo stem cell research  25/11/2008

Independent NUI Senator Rónán Mullen will move a bill in the Seanad this Wednesday to prohibit embryo destructive research. Senator Mullen's Stem Cell Research (Protection of Human Embryos) Bill seeks to prohibit the creation of human embryos for research purposes and all research involving or deriving from the destruction of human embryos.

"Embryo destructive research is wrong in principle and increasingly unnecessary in practice due to recent advances made in the field of adult stem cell research," said Senator Mullen. 

"The recent decision by UCC to permit research on stem cells derived from human embryos was pre-emptive and irresponsible. It is very worrying that there is no legislation in Ireland prohibiting embryo-destructive research, cloning and the creation of animal human hybrids.

"Embryo-destructive research is not only wrong in principle, because it attacks the life of a human being at the earliest stage of his/her development, but it is increasingly unnecessary in practice," said Senator Mullen. "The advances in the area of adult stem cells provide an ethical alternative which is not socially divisive.

"The good news is that the use of ethically acceptable adult stem cells looks set to provide all the answers we need. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) are exciting scientists all over the world, offering them similar research opportunities as embryonic stem cells – but without killing human embryos.

"The most productive stem cell research to date - in terms of finding applications and treatments - has been in this field of adult stem cells. This research has provided nearly 80 applications for dozens of conditions, including breast cancer, multiple sclerosis and cirrhosis of the liver. As yet, embryonic stem cell research has not even produced a single clinical trial for a therapeutic application, never mind an application itself.

Senator Mullen also proposed that Ireland's research community be funded to become a centre of excellence for ethically acceptable and scientifically proven adult stem cell research.

"It appears as though arguments for embryonic stem cell research are increasingly out of date. What a pity that just as the scientific world is beginning to appreciate the value of exploring adult stem cell research, we in Ireland are considering the socially divisive and ethically problematic route of embryo-destructive research. That is why this Bill is so important."