All six Fianna Fáil MEPs have voted against a controversial proposal to allow the EU to fund research on stem cells drawn from human embryos, although the Government is set to agree to a similar plan next week.
The vote in the European Parliament yesterday came as the Tánaiste, Ms Harney, told the Seanad that the Government will not oppose a European Commission's proposal to allow funding for such research when industry ministers meet in Brussels tomorrow week.
The European Parliament voted yesterday by 298 to 214 in favour of a slightly more liberal proposal than that being put to next week's EU ministerial meeting. This vote is not binding, however, on the Council of Ministers.
A spokesman for Ms Harney said later that the six - Mr Niall Andrews, Mr Gerry Collins, Mr Brian Crowley, Mr Jim Fitzsimons, Mr Liam Hyland, Mr Seán Ó Neachtain - had not gone against Government policy as the measure opposed by the Fianna Fáil MEPs was more liberal than that being voted on next week. While the Commission proposal will only support research on embryos derived from IVF treatment and donated before June 27th 2002, the measure passed by the Parliament but opposed by the Fianna Fáil members did not have this cut-off point. The MEPs had remained supportive of the Government position, he said.
However the Fianna Fáil MEP for Munster, Mr Brian Crowley, said that the Government should take note of the large vote against the Parliament motion. "The Government has to take account of the views expressed in the Parliament. The way I voted today is the way I think the Government should vote," he said.
Mr Crowley said that, although Fianna Fáil MEPs had received a briefing from the Government in advance of yesterday's vote, they were given no specific guidance. "We got no advice to vote in favour or against," he said.
The Tánaiste told the Seanad that the Government's position had been established in consultation with the Departments of Health and Children, Taoiseach and Foreign Affairs. "Ireland does not think it appropriate to oppose the Commission proposal as currently drafted," she said.
The Commission proposal is to allow EU funding be given to stem cell research in member-states. However it will not fund research in a member-state where such research is not legal. No such research currently takes place in Ireland.
Ms Harney said that the proposal would not permit the funding of any research activity in Ireland that breached Irish ethical or legal requirements. Funds would only be available for research on surplus embryos that had been produced as a consequence of fertility treatment and would otherwise be destroyed.
The Tánaiste rejected as insubstantial the argument that Irish taxpayers should not have to pay for activities that cannot be carried out in Ireland.
"The principle of 'hypothecation' is well established at national level. That is to say that resources from taxation are pooled and distributed by Government and the Oireachtas through the Estimates process. It is difficult to see how society could function if individuals were to have the capacity to block particular aspects of government activity on the basis that it involved their individual taxes," she said.
The Fianna Fáil MEPs were joined by the Independent MEP Ms Dana Rosemary Scallon and the Green MEPs Ms Nuala Ahern and Ms Patricia McKenna in voting against the proposal.