Mary Henry (Independent)

I hope when we address this issue, we will also look at the issue of the treatments which may emerge from embryonic stem cell research because while good progress is being made in adult stem cell research, there are degenerative diseases, about which listeners to the show this morning will have heard, that cause great grief to people. We want to be honest and say we will not allow these treatments if we advise the Tánaiste to vote in a way other than that which she appears to be considering.

We also need to address the issue of pharmaceutical companies undertaking this research, which should be under the control of parliaments and not left, as it is in the United States, to bio-banks of great financial worth. Some people do not understand that there are those who are trying to take control of this issue rather than let it develop on its own. We should also address the issue of pharmaceutical companies and whether they should be allowed to work here if they have associations with embryonic stem cell research elsewhere. How do we know that some of the technology they are developing elsewhere will not be applied here?