Opposites attract: how will the newly-elected coalition government handle bioethical issues in Ireland?

by Elizabeth Yuko (Institute of Ethics, Dublin City University)

The recent Irish parliamentary election resulted in a coalition between the centre-right Fine Gael and the centre-left Labour Party, ousting Fianna Fáil from their 14 year turn in government. With two parties that fall on different sides of the political spectrum, what impact, if any, will this have on the Irish bioethics scene?

The two most prominent bioethical issues that will need to be addressed by the current Government are abortion and stem cell research. While abortion is illegal except in cases where the pregnancy is endangering the woman’s life, there is currently no legal regulation of stem cell research in Ireland.

Both the Fine Gael and Labour Party manifestos briefly mention each party’s position on both stem cell research and abortion. Fine Gael’s manifesto states that if elected, the party will “legislate to regulate human embryo research,” yet provides no indication on how, specifically, they will address the issue. [1] Media sources, as well as a Fine Gael councillor, state that Fine Gael is opposed to research conducted on human embryos, and instead favours alternative stem cell research that does not involve human embryos such as adult stem cell and umbilical cord research. [2]

The Labour Party, on the other hand, indicates that they will “legislate to regulate stem cell research, with regard to the recommendations of the Irish Council for Bioethics;” [3] meaning that it would like to regulate stem cell research so that human embryonic stem cells could be used under restrictions applied in some other European countries.[4] The now-defunct Irish Council for Bioethics’ recommendations also include “the establishment of a State funded regulatory authority, which would function independently and transparently (in its principles and agenda), to oversee embryo research.”[5]

Similarly, both parties indicate in their manifestos that they will legislate to regulate assisted human reproduction. While Fine Gael’s manifesto [6] does not go any further than that, Labour also states that it would “legislate in accordance with existing constitutional provisions and court judgements to clarify the law – including the law relating to guardianship responsibilities – surrounding assisted human reproduction.” [7]

It should be noted that the language employed in each manifesto is indicative of each party’s position. For example, Labour uses the term “stem cell research,” whilst Fine Gael refers to it as “human embryo research,” possibly in an attempt to highlight the fact that they view the embryos as human beings. Furthermore, as mentioned before, while both parties mention the need to legislate in the area of stem cell research, neither gives any specific details regarding their positions on the issue.

The same is true with regards to abortion. Despite being known for being against the legalisation of abortion, [8] Fine Gael makes no clear statement on the issue in its manifesto, stating: “We will establish an all-party committee, with access to medical and legal expertise, to consider the implications of the recent ruling of the ECHR and to make recommendations. Such a process would, we believe, be the best way of examining the issues in a way that respects the range of sincerely-held views on this matter.”

While Labour does not directly state in its manifesto [9] whether it is in favour of or opposed to legalising abortion, it does state that it will legislate in accordance with the Supreme Court judgment in the X Case – which would permit abortion in cases where the woman’s life was at risk, including from suicide – and the recent ruling by the European Court of Human Rights, which found that Ireland’s current abortion regime violates human rights. [10] Furthermore, the party has stated that, in addition to the circumstances mentioned above, abortion should also be legal in cases of foetal abnormality which is such that the foetus will never be born alive, as well as a risk of significant injury to the physical health of the mother.[11]

On 28 February 2011, Nature published an article indicating that scientists not only have to worry about cuts in public spending, but that stem cell researchers have the most to lose as Fine Gael is opposed to human embryonic stem cell research.[12] The article notes that both of Ireland’s public funding agencies – Science Foundation Ireland and the Health Research Board – have decided not to fund work involving human embryonic stem cells until the legal situation is clarified. [13] Two universities – Trinity College Dublin and University College Cork – have internal rules permitting such research on imported human embryonic stem cell lines, provided that researchers are supported with foreign research grants. [14]

Despite the fact that Fianna Fáil had stated that it would legislate in the area of stem cell research in December 2009 following criticism from the Supreme Court regarding the lack of regulation in the area, no such law was ever passed. [15]

Dr. Stephen Sullivan, director of the Irish Stem Cell Foundation, added to the debate in a letter to the Irish Medical Times stating that there is no link between abortion and human embryonic stem cells. [16] In response to Fine Gael’s preference for adult stem cells and umbilical cord blood, he states: “Worryingly, some political parties’ recent policy statements on stem cells have been poorly informed, scientifically and medically. Amniotic fluid and umbilical cord blood contain adult stem cells. They hold promise for therapy but do not have the properties, nor the developmental potential, of embryonic stem cells. They are not biologically equivalent and are being translated in a distinct manner to different conditions in the clinic.” [17]

As the article in Nature points out, if the two parties cannot agree on a course of action with regards to stem cell research, it would simply be a continuation of the legislative vacuum which currently exists in Ireland. [18] The fact that the governing parties disagree on bioethical issues may not even come into play if neither party decides to approach the topic at all. Following many years of bitter debate surrounding abortion referenda, politicians are reluctant – as demonstrated by Fianna Fáil, after promising to take legislative action and not following through – to even introduce legislation in the area of bioethics. Will the same hold true for the current Government?

References

1. http://www.finegael2011.com/pdf/Fine%20Gael%20Manifesto%20low-res.pdf, p. 24.

2. http://blogs.nature.com/news/thegreatbeyond/2011/02/irish_election_raises_question.html;
http://www.sbpost.ie/news/ireland/warning-over-stem-cell-research-in-ireland-54953.html;
http://www.billtormey.ie/2011/02/21/abortion-fine-gaels-position/;
http://newswhip.ie/national-2/where-do-the-main-parties-stand-on-gay-marriage-and-abortion;

3. http://www.labour.ie/download/pdf/labour_election_manifesto_2011.pdf, p. 78.

4. http://blogs.nature.com/news/thegreatbeyond/2011/02/irish_election_raises_question.html

5. http://www.bioethics.ie/uploads/docs/StemCellReport.pdf, p. 67.

6. http://www.finegael2011.com/pdf/Fine%20Gael%20Manifesto%20low-res.pdf, p. 24.

7. http://www.labour.ie/download/pdf/labour_election_manifesto_2011.pdf, p. 78.

8. http://www.billtormey.ie/2011/02/21/abortion-fine-gaels-position/; http://www.cinews.ie/article.php?artid=8182.

9. http://www.labour.ie/download/pdf/labour_election_manifesto_2011.pdf, p. 79.

10. http://www.sbpost.ie/newsfeatures/fg-and-labour-facing-an-abortion-storm-53517.html

11. http://www.choiceireland.org/node/60