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PR: Why the secrecy re the ISCF Funding
24.05.2010
The Life Institute has called for the Irish Stem Cell Foundation (ISCF) to answer questions as to how it is funded. The Institute accused the ISCF of pushing an agenda in regard to embryonic stem cell research, and said that its reluctance to reveal the source of its funding was “worrying”
The ISCF today called for human embryonic stem cell research to take place in Ireland. The call follows the release of its position in April 2010, when the ISCF openly declared its support for embryonic stem cell research, stating that IVF embryos should be used in this form of lethal research on human life.
The foundation was founded by Harvard researcher, Dr Stephen Sullivan, who returned to Ireland in 2007 with the intention of setting up a laboratory which would involve using human embryos for research. In a press release issued by Sullivan at the time he said that his research would use embryonic stem cells “left over from the IVF process”.
The Life Institute has discovered that Dr Sullivan had barely landed in Ireland when he was hot-footing down to UCC to meet with Dr Deirdre Madden, who brought him along for a special meeting with the UCC Academic Council Research Committee on April 30th to build support for her push for embryonic stem cell research in UCC. Documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act reveal that Madden addressed the meeting as then chair of the UCC Ethics Board, and a new policy for embryonic stem cell research was strongly recommended. Sullivan contribution would have supported that position and calls were made for for government funding of lethal embryonic stem cell research.
Sullivan then went on to launch the Irish Stem Cell Foundation - which marketed itself as a body whose “primary objective is to educate about stem cells”. But its actions reveal that its primary objective is, in fact, to promote embryonic stem cell research. Much of the “information sheets” on the site are thinly disguised promotions of embryo research. Ethical and effective alternatives, such as adult stem cell research, are dismissed and downplayed in an astonishingly unprofessional fashion.
Life Institute spokeswoman, Niamh Uí Bhriain, said that the Irish media should investigate the patently obvious motives behind the ISCF’s activities “Why does the source of the ICSF funding remains a secret?” she asked. “Despite repeated requests by email, letter and telephone for information on funding, the foundation has failed to respond to any queries. Questions regarding funding were deleted from the ISCF’s Facebook page and those asking the questions were blocked. Why the secrecy? Surely a foundation that markets itself as an independent expert body should be open to answering questions on funding.”
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