SEANAD REPORT:RONAN MULLEN (Ind) received the consent of the House to place on its agenda his Bill which seeks to prohibit the creation of human embryos for research and to ban research involving or deriving from the destruction of such embryos.
The second-stage debate on the Stem-cell Research (Protection of Human Embryos) Bill 2008, is due to take place in private members' time next Wednesday.
Mr Mullen needed the backing of two senatorial colleagues to have the Bill formally printed. He was supported in this endeavour by Fianna Fáil members Jim Walsh and John Hanafin. The technical motion to put the Bill forward for debate was proposed by Mr Mullen and seconded by Paul Bradford (FG). Seanad leader Donie Cassidy gave his assent.
The Bill provides for fines of up to €250,000 for breaches of its main provisions.
Mr Mullen said the proposed measure was limited in its scope; it did not deal with reproductive matters. He thought it was very important that when they discussed these "profound matters relating to when life begins", there would be respect for all views.
The use of terms such as "fetishisation" by Ivana Bacik (Ind) served to demonise those who took an opposite view to hers, he said. He hoped that approach would not continue. He would try to allay any concerns others might have and he was certainly open to suggestions for amendments. "I hope none of us will be demonised for our point of view."
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