Expert says inaction by lawmakers unforgivable

It is "unforgivable" that appropriate regulations and guidelines were not put in place to deal with the issues in the ongoing "frozen embryos" High Court case when such issues and problems were known well before embryo freezing began here, a professor of molecular biology has said.

Prof Martin Clynes of Dublin City University said he had "great sympathy" for the man and woman at the centre of the action brought in an attempt to secure implantation of three embryos, currently stored in a Dublin fertility clinic, in the woman's uterus. It was unfortunate that people had to go through this, he added.

When John Rogers SC, for the husband, put it to Prof Clynes that he was expressing opinions on the actions of lawmakers, Mr Justice Brian McGovern said Prof Clynes was entitled to express his view.

Mr Rogers put it to Prof Clynes he was "a propagandist" who had written before on such issues and was taking a position so as to influence the actions of lawmakers.

Prof Clynes said he was a scientist who had dedicated his career of over 34 years to cellular molecular biology. This was an area of rapid development that many people didn't understand well. However, he understood it and felt he had a responsibility, where he believed developments in new technology may have ethical implications, to draw the public's attention to those.

He didn't believe "propaganda" was a fair description for the exercise by a scientist of what he regarded as "my public duty".

His belief was that, when fertilisation occurs, this represents the time when all of the genetic information which determines a unique human individual is in existence. The beginning of individual life must be defined at this point "of unique biological certainty" and this was also the point, he believed, to proceed with legislation.

Prof Clynes agreed he had described embryonic stem-cell research as "barbaric". He said he had used that term to put new developments in context.

He said he had no difficulties with IVF, although he did believe it was "oversold". If women had all the necessary information, IVF was "a wonderful technique" which could be practised while respecting the rights of embryos.