Skip to main content
Normal View

Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 4 Mar 1998

Vol. 488 No. 2

Written Answers. - Cloning of Human Beings.

John V. Farrelly

Question:

26 Mr. Farrelly asked the Minister for Health and Children the reason this State is not a signatory to the Council of Europe protocol banning the cloning of human beings; whether the Government approves of the procedure of such cloning; and the Government's policy in this area. [5777/98]

Dinny McGinley

Question:

93 Mr. McGinley asked the Minister for Health and Children the reason the State is not a signatory to the Council of Europe protocol banning the cloning of human beings; whether the Government approves of the procedure of this cloning; and the Government's policy in this area. [5776/98]

Alan Shatter

Question:

119 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for Health and Children the reason the State is not a signatory to the Council of Europe protocol banning the cloning of human beings; whether the Government approves of any such scientific development; and the Government's policy in this area. [5946/98]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 26, 93 and 119 together.

The additional protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine on the prohibition of the cloning of human beings is open for signature to only those States which have signed the Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine. Ireland is not a signatory to the convention and we are therefore not in a position to be able to sign the additional protocol. The reason Ireland is not a signatory to the convention is that there are difficulties with some articles which have implications for the destruction of embryos.
Ireland is supportive of measures currently being taken at a number of international fora to prohibit the cloning of human beings. In particular, Ireland supported the decision of Heads of State and Government, meeting at the Second Summit of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg on 10-11 October 1997 "to prohibit all use of cloning techniques aimed at creating genetically identical human beings".
Top
Share