New laws to govern cloning and further developments in genetic research were needed, Labour's spokeswoman on consumer affairs, Dr Mary Upton, said yesterday.
Dr Upton said she believed there was a need for an outright ban on human cloning, even for research purposes. There was also a need, she said, for a full debate on the implications and use of the human genome and cloning.
"Ireland cannot continue to bury its head in the sand and pretend that it will not be affected by the implications of scientific developments which have drastic and far-reaching implications for humans," Dr Upton said.
"Science is a very powerful and generally positive tool, but we must ensure that science is there to serve the people and not the people to serve science."
She said that while other countries were taking steps to control and regulate this area of science, little or nothing had been done in this regard in Ireland.
There would be nothing to prevent scientists from embarking on a cloning project here.
A Department of Health spokesman confirmed yesterday there was no legislation dealing directly with human cloning in the State.
The Commission on Assisted Human Reproduction was set up by the Minister for Health, Mr Martin, in February last year to examine this and other issues, he said.
The spokesman said it was not known when the commission would be reporting. That was "because of the difficult nature of the issues involved", he said, and it was not possible to be specific on when its work would be completed. However, there was a possibility of an interim report, he said.
Dr Upton said this was now a matter of growing urgency and the commission should be asked to report back on issues of regulation without further delay.
The commission, chaired by Prof Dervilla Donnelly, has been asked to prepare a report on the possible approaches to the regulation of all aspects of assisted human reproduction and the "social, ethical and legal factors to be taken into account in determining public policy in this area".
A team of researchers led by Italian embryologist Dr Severino Antinori announced at the US National Academy of Sciences this week their intention to begin cloning humans, unleashing a furore among scientists.
They said they would carry out experiments in an effort to help childless couples become biological parents.