Euthanasia proponent to address debate

THE controversial British ethicist who has said the "demented have a duty to die" is set to speak at a debate in UCC in favour of embryonic stem cell research. Mary Warnock, an honorary patron of UCC's philosophical society, has argued people suffering from dementia are wasting their families' lives and valuable health resources.

Ms Warnock maintains people should be allowed to give advance notice to a third party that they wish to be killed when they reach a set point of mental deterioration.

The philosopher and government adviser once opposed euthanasia because of the potential for abuse by doctors and patient's families.

Now, however, she contends that since the law already permits the abortion of unborn handicapped children, it should grant people the right to be killed if they feel that their lives are intolerable.

The respected ethicist, who is in her 80s, has helped shape British law governing human fertilisation and embryology.

She endorsed the cloning of babies in order to treat infertile couples, and advocates the creation of part-human, part-animal hybrid embryos for research purposes.

Ms Warnock has also said she sees no significant ethical obstacles to human reproductive cloning for strictly medical reasons at some point in the future, providing the technique can be shown to be safe.

Luke Harris, auditor of UCC's Philosophical society, which organised the debate along with the Medical and Genetic society, said she was a very influential figure.

"This whole area is very controversial anyway and is always going to cause disagreement," he said.

"I think sometimes Lady Warnock's comments are taken out of context."

Professor William Reville, associate professor of biochemistry at the college and an opponent of embryonic stem cell research, said he feels the decision of the governing body could still be overturned.

"It was passed only by a majority of one. To have something so controversial passed by one vote, and with a show of hands instead of private ballot is not good."

Prof Reville said researchers did not yet know how to control embryonic stem cells. "That's why there has been no clinical trials from embryonic stem cell research," he said.

"Scientists will argue that they need to explore all the avenues open to them, but there is another way."

UCC biochemist Dr Tom Moore, who will speak in favour of the research at the debate, said the Irish people seemed to have already made their decision.

"The morning after pill is freely available here and embryo are being disgorged in fertility clinics," he said.

* The debate is at 7.30pm on Monday night in UCC's Kane building.