MEPs approve funding for embryonic stem-cell research
The European Parliament has approved funding for research into the use of embryonic stem-cells to treat a range of medical conditions.
Many MEPs, including those from Fianna Fáil, had voted against the motion, but a majority were in favour of the proposal.
The move does not mean that research will be allowed to go ahead in Ireland because the practice is still banned in this country.
Furthermore, the money cannot be used for human cloning research.
In a statement issued last night ahead of today’s vote, Ireland’s Catholic bishops reiterated their opposition to stem-cell research, which they described as “nothing short of the destruction of human life”.
They called on MEPs to instead limit funding to research on adult stem cells, which can be extracted from umbilical cords and bone marrow.
Experts believe there is some promise in using such cells, but embryonic stem-cells provide much greater research opportunities.
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