Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 86: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the reason Ireland has yet to ratify the European Convention for the Protection of Vertebrate Animals used for Experimental and Other Scientific Purposes; and when same will be ratified. [41476/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The Convention in question is primarily designed to reduce both the number of experiments and the number of animals used for such purposes. Parties to the Convention are encouraged not to experiment on animals except where there is no alternative and to encourage research into alternative methods. Animals to be experimented on should be selected on the basis of clearly established quantitative criteria and must be well cared for and spared avoidable suffering whenever possible.

In Ireland, these outcomes are achieved in practice by the European Communities (Amendment to the Cruelty to Animals Act 1876) Regulations 2002 which give effect to Council Directive 86/609/EEC regarding the protection of animals used for experimental and other scientific purposes. However, ratification of the Convention would require primary legislation and, as there would be no additional protection of experimental animals, I could not justify allocating resources for this purpose; accordingly, there are no proposals to proceed with ratifying the Convention.