Youth Defence can reveal that the newly-established Irish Stem Cell Foundation is not the objective authority it purports to be but was, in fact, founded by a leading advocate of lethal research on human embryos. Furthermore, its founder, Dr Stephen Sullivan returned to Ireland in 2007 with the intention of setting up a laboratory which would involve using human embryos for research.

The Irish Stem Cell Foundation has marketed itself as a body “whose primary objective is to educate about stem cells”, yet even a quick browse of its website reveals that the Foundation is pushing for embryo research. Its chief spokesman is Stephen Sullivan who is the author of “Human Embryonic Stem Cells: The Practical Handbook”. In a 2007 press release Dr Sullivan said that his research at Harvard University had used embryos which he described as being “left-over” from the IVF process. He claimed these “cells” would “never become a foetus, let alone a baby or a human being”.

“Dr Sullivan’s mindset is very clear from his statement,” said Rebecca of YD. “He denies the humanity of the embryo, and implies that one is only a human being after birth. Life is a continuum, from conception until death, every scientist knows this.”

Meanwhile, in a further response to the ongoing debate on embryo research in the Irish Times, another UCC professor has supported Professor William Reville in his opposition to embryo research. Professor Tommie McCarthy wrote that “In response to Dr Dolores Dooley’s dismissal of adult and induced pluripotent stem-cell (IPSC) research as good and ethical alternatives to human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research a search of the world’s largest registry for clinical trials (www.clinicaltrials.gov) shows more than 1,900 current adult stem cell versus three hESC transplantation trials respectively.”

He also rubbished Dr Dooley’s argument that hESCs are required as controls for adult stem-cell research. Professor McCarthy said that this was “incorrect, since adult stem-cell research has been in progress for decades without hESCs. Dr Dooley’s argument that hESCs are required as controls for IPSC research is purely relative since human IPSC research (which has emanated from equivalent research in mice) will advance rapidly irrespective of the existence of hESCs.”

Dr Eoghan de Faoite welcomed the clarification and said that embryo research was unethical and could not be justified.