Madam, - It was astonishing to read in your edition of August 14th the statement by Professor David McConnell recommending that DNA fingerprinting be carried out on all citizens of the State.
While reference was made to the forensic fingerprint having no medical value several important issues impinging on privacy and civil liberty were apparently ignored.
I suggest that it would be practically impossible to guarantee sample security and confidentiality. What would happen to the remaining sample and DNA belonging to each citizen? Would it be destroyed? When? Or would it be kept in a deep-freeze for future use?
The current revolutionary biochemical techniques available for making large amounts of DNA from minute tissue samples, notwithstanding future advances in this area, point to the potential dangers in universal fingerprinting. Furthermore, the DNA fingerprint, in addition to its forensic significance, may be used for relationship analysis.
But perhaps most importantly, the sample of tissue or body fluid from which DNA is prepared prior to fingerprinting could be used for additional genetic tests which would be of value medically, to the risk/insurance industry and employers or even prospective spouses.
Prof McConnell's suggestion that a DNA database would add to our civil liberty is misguided and oversimplified. I contend that it would lead to the opposite for the reasons given above as well as through creating the potential for future official or unofficial abuse of the private genetic information of each citizen.
The suggestion has overtones of Brave New World's "World State's motto of Community, Identity and Stability". But, like the author, I thought that we had rejected this. - Yours, etc.,
Prof JAMES HEFFRON,
Department of Biochemistry,
University College Cork.