PR: YD Condemn Comments on Funding
19.06.2006
Youth Defence today criticised the comments of Fianna Fail Minister Michael Martin when he signalled yesterday that Ireland will not attempt to block EU funds being directed towards controversial embryo research. This research destroys the earliest form of human being and has yet to provide a single treatment or cure for patients.
The 7th Framework Programme, which was endorsed by the European Parliament on Friday has agreed to allocate €50 billion as a research budget for the period of 2007 to 2013. Despite some controversy over the use of funds for scientific experiments on human embryos the Parliament agreed to fund both adult and embryonic stem cell research.
Today Eoghan de Faoite of Youth Defence said, “We are very disappointed that Ireland did not join with the other countries such as Germany and Austria and form a blocking minority to prevent the use of EU money being used to fund destructive embryo research. It’s about time the Government stated exactly what it’s position is with regard to the use of human embryos for experimentation”
Youth Defence have campaigned in the past against moves by the EU to support the abuse of human embryos and will, this Summer, launch an awareness and lobbying campaign to inform people of this issue. Mr de Faoite added, “Embryo research is a form of human experimentation and people need to be made aware of the threat that this destructive research could be permitted in Ireland, or at the very least could be funded by Irish taxpayers money”.
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