Sir, - Recent reports in the media suggest that freezing of embryos, created by in vitro fertilisation (IVF), has now started at a number of clinics in Ireland. To the extent that this replaces the practice of discarding "extra" embryos by placing them in the mother in a position where they won't survive, this is a positive development. The consequences of unregulated freezing have not, however, been properly assessed. If the parents wish to have the frozen embryos implanted in the mother at a later stage, no problem arises. If they don't, what will eventually happen? If these embryos are human beings, discarding them is unacceptable, but this has happened in many other countries, and will also happen here (whatever the current interim guidelines may say).
Furthermore, as discussed by Dr Maureen Junker-Kenny in The Irish Times (March 30th) basic and commercial research is now underway in the USA and elsewhere to produce spare body parts (for surgery) from unwanted IVF embryos. This research has been approved by ethical committees, presumably using the argument that, if the embryos are going to be destroyed anyway, they might as well be put to use. Such arguments can also be used to justify creating extra embryos, by IVF, just for research and tissue production. I should add that there are other approaches (e.g. using biopsies from adults or using established cell lines) by which spare body parts could be made, after the necessary research is done, which would not involve destruction of human life.
If we don't clarify the regulations in relation to storage and use of embryos now, we will be faced, in five-to-10 years time, with large numbers of unwanted frozen embryos, and we will without doubt follow the lead of other countries, i.e. destruction, or research/commercial use. Options which should be discussed for Irish legislation now include either fertilising only the number of ova which will be implanted or that parents would agree to adoption of embryos if they did not wish to have an additional child.
I realise that areas like this are very difficult for politicians to handle, and that it is simpler - and even perhaps understandable - if they ignore them. Only the politicians, however, have the power to implement the right decisions now, which will prevent the termination of many human lives which have only just begun, later. Has the present Government got the vision and courage to do anything about it? -Yours, etc., Martin Clynes,
Professor of Biotechnology, Dublin City University, Dublin 9.