Cuts are no problem for the government. They can do taxes as well, if necessary. Beyond the basic sums though, we have a problem. Governing, as in applying themselves to the problems of the country, and coming up with imaginative and long-term solutions, presents all manner of difficulties. And those difficulties are not peculiar to the current government, but are symptomatic of the political culture in place.

The issue of stem-cell research is a prime example of the distance between the rhetoric of government and the business of actually governing. There is no legislation in this country catering for stem-cell research. A vital area of medical science is more or less unregulated and left totally outside the parameters of the law.

Ireland, we are told, is embarking on being a knowledge economy. How can this be so if it sits on its rear end rather than creating basic conditions for the acquisition of knowledge?

In 2005, the New York Times declared that Ireland was the "wild west" of financial regulation. Today, it is the wild west of a sector that is one of the most vital areas of science into the future, one that any self-respecting knowledge economy would immediately grab and woo. Martin Codyre is the human face of the quest to better medical science through stem-cell research. Last August 12 months, his life was transformed when he fell at a friend's wedding and suffered a devastating spinal cord injury at the age of 33. He is now para­lysed from the chest down.

An engineer by training, Codyre believes, with some justification, that one day a cure can be found for his condition. He is a vocal advocate for legislation for stem-cell research.

"Stem-cell technology is going to change the world," he says. "I have been thrust into it but I can see that it is revolutionary.

"There are two aspects to it, the global developments and what we can do to get international researchers to come here. It's a perfect opportunity for Ireland to leverage the intellectual capital we have. But domestically, if we hope to get any of that investment, we need to have legislation to allow researchers to come."

The hope that Martin Codyre invests in his personal situation is shared by thousands. Advances in medical science means that cures and therapies for conditions such as paralysis, Alzheimer's, diabetes, Parkinson's and multiple sclerosis may well be possible in the near future.

The vacuum left by failing to legislate is filled by instruments like the internet. Desperate citizens are prey to spurious claims to cure disease using stem-cell treatment in places like China. Ignorance prevails because there is no effort at an official level to inform people. How could they attempt to inform people about something that is not legislated for? Officially, stem-cell treatment and research does not exist.

"I get emails all the time from people enquiring whether it is safe or worthwhile to go for stem-cell therapy in Ecuador and China," says Dr Stephen Sullivan, chief scientific officer of the Irish Stem-Cell Foundation.

"If I reply on Google mail pointing out the dangers of scams, there could be an ad on the same page advertising some other unsubstantiated treatment. The lack of legislation in this country, the lack of clear rules, makes it hard for people to know what is real out there."

The financial cost is huge. The National Development Plan has earmarked €8.2bn to be invested in science over the next 20 years in an effort to make the country a centre of scientific research.

No company involved in serious research is going to set up camp in the wild west and risk their investment with cowboys.

The paralysis of government is entirely political. Research in this area involves the use of cells from both humans and embryos. The latter is the source of major ethical debate. Decisions would have to be made on the status of embryos, debate would ensue and the so-called pro-life lobby would be mobilised to kick up blue murder. Does any of this sound familiar?

For exactly the same reasons there is no legislation governing assisted human reproduction such as IVF treatment. Here also, in an area that affects the most primal instincts of adults, the first impulse of politicians is to run and hide rather than do the job for which they were elected.

Instead of governing, instead of consulting the citizenry and then legislating, the government's attitude is to let sleeping dogs lie. Do not excite debate that will lead to division in such a sensitive area, certainly not before the next election.

The result is another failure to properly position our small open economy to best exploit the mobile jobs and investment markets. There are democratic implications for allowing a group like the pro-life lobby to colonise debate on stem-cell research. But the primary fault lies with politicians who have displayed cowardice in governing to an extent that they are guilty of abject negligence.

Rather than plan for the economy of the future, rather than inform the public and tackle the problems, our rulers instead retreat to the cave of political expediency.

Don't kid yourself that the wanton destruction of the economy over the last decade was a disease peculiar to the government of the day. The paralysis in legislating for stem-cell research shows that it was merely a symptom.

www.irishstemcellfoundation.org
www.fightingparalysis.com