Ivana Bacik (Independent)

I welcome the distinguished members of the Ugandan judiciary who are guests of my colleague, Professor William Binchy from Trinity College Law School.

I would welcome a debate on embryonic stem cell research, but I would like it to be conducted from a position of education and in an informed manner, not in a spirit of ignorance which, unfortunately, we have heard informing the debate today. I have heard suggestions that UCC has taken some pre-emptive step in allowing stem cell research, but the reality is that until now any researcher at UCC could import embryonic stem cells.