The human genome is the accumulated inheritance of every generation that came before us. It belongs to no corporation, no government, and no scientist. It is the common property of humanity and the foundation upon which every future generation will be built. This constitution protects it accordingly.
No heritable modification to the human genome — meaning any alteration that would be passed to future generations — shall be permitted in Ireland without explicit authorisation by referendum of the Irish people and independent assessment by the Technology Council confirming that the modification is safe, genuinely beneficial, and fully reversible in its heritable effects. The permanent alteration of the human germline without the consent of those who will inherit it is among the gravest possible violations of the rights of future generations.
No person’s genetic information shall be collected, stored, sold, shared, or used without their explicit, informed, and revocable consent. Genetic information is among the most intimate data a person possesses. Its misuse — whether for commercial profiling, insurance discrimination, employment decisions, or any other purpose — is prohibited.
No naturally occurring genetic sequence shall be patented or privately owned.
Technologies that enhance human cognitive or physical capacity — whether through genetic, pharmacological, neurological, or other means — shall be assessed by the Technology Council for their effects on equality, consent, and the integrity of human experience before they may be made available in Ireland. Where such technologies risk creating permanent biological inequality between those who can access them and those who cannot, they shall not be permitted without democratic consent and robust measures to ensure universal access.
The precautionary principle applies with full force to all biotechnology. Where credible doubt exists about the safety, reversibility, or long-term consequences of any biotechnological intervention, the burden of proof lies entirely with those who wish to proceed.