Dan Boyle (Cork South Central, Green Party)
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Question 818: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the consideration which has been given to bringing about an outright legislative ban on experimentation on non-human primates here. [30113/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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It is the practice in Ireland not to licence experiments involving the use of primates; however, I have no plans to introduce legislation in this regard.

The use of live animals in scientific research and other experimental activity is strictly controlled in accordance with the Cruelty to Animals Act 1876, as amended by the European Communities (Amendment of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1876) Regulations 2002 and 2005. Under the Act an experiment may only be performed for one of the following purposes:

(i) the development, manufacture, quality, effectiveness and safety testing of drugs, foodstuffs and other substances or products for—

(a) the avoidance, prevention, diagnosis or treatment of disease, ill-health or other abnormality or their effects in human beings, animals or plants, or

(b) the assessment, detection, regulation or modification of physiological conditions in human beings, animals or plants;

(ii) the protection of the natural environment in the interests of the health or welfare of human beings or animals;

(iii) the illustration of lectures in medical schools, hospitals, colleges or elsewhere.

Experiments on live animals can only be performed by persons licensed to do so and in premises registered for that purpose. Licences are granted in accordance with the provisions of the Act and are subject to stringent conditions. As part of the licence application process each applicant must show why the experiment/procedure on living animals is essential and why the objective of the experiments cannot be achieved by the use of alternative techniques. Justification for the choice of species is also required. The application for a licence must be signed by two qualified persons of professorial standing, as specified in the Act, from a relevant scientific, medical or veterinary discipline verifying that the project is original or makes a relevant contribution to scientific knowledge and that the use of animals is essential as no alternative method is reasonably and practicably available.

Ireland supports the work of the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ECVAM). ECVAM was established by the European Commission to promote the scientific and regulatory acceptance of alternative methods which are of importance to the biosciences and which reduce, refine or replace the use of laboratory animals. Ireland is represented on its Scientific Committee.