Minister for Enterprise and Employment Mícheál Martin has said that he would support embryonic stem-cell research being carried out in Ireland in certain circumstances.
In an interview with the Irish Catholic newspaper, Mr Martin is quoted as saying: "If it could be shown that embryo stem-cell research could lead to cures, then I would be open to it, at least in terms of supernumerary embryos produced by in vitro fertilisation." Mr Martin said he would not like to be "absolutist".
Supernumerary embryos are those that have been produced as part of the IVF process but are not implanted into the mother. They are therefore considered to be surplus.
Embryonic stem-cell research is considered by some to hold out the potential of providing treatment for a number of serious medical conditions.
However, it is controversial as it results in the destruction of the embryo.
Mr Martin, in the interview, said with regard to such research taking place in Ireland that clarification would first be needed on whether the constitutional protection given to the unborn extended to the embryo in the laboratory in addition to the embryo in the womb.
Mr Martin said that his support for EU funding of embryo stem-cell research in general was influenced by the principle of "ethical subsidiarity", under which the EU would not require a member state to undertake practices it did not consider to be ethical.
He rejected the contention that because Irish money formed part of EU funds, the country had a right to say how this could be spent in other jurisdictions.
"Our money is part of overall EU funding. You can't say you can spend our money on this but not on something else."
The Minister was last night with a trade delegation in the Far East and was unavailable for comment.
Meanwhile, Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern said yesterday that no funding, either EU or national, had been committed to embryonic stem-cell research in Ireland.
He said that under the European Framework Programme (FP6), Ireland did not object to EU funding for human embryonic stem-cell research in member states where it was legal and deemed ethical - where the core principle of respecting "ethical subsidiarity" was guaranteed.
Mr Ahern said that in line with Irish support for ethical subsidiarity, the Government insisted that no EU funding would be allowed for embryonic stem-cell research in Ireland.
He said that the corollary of this was that Ireland had to respect the right of other member states to follow their own consciences in this matter.
A spokesman for Mr Ahern later said that the Minister was setting out the legal position with regard to embryonic stem-cell research as it existed in Ireland.
