Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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1461. To ask the Minister for Health his views on whether the Government has the competence under EU law to ban animal testing in Ireland; and if introducing such a ban will be considered. [33461/21]

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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1665. To ask the Minister for Health if Ireland could independently ban the use of animals in experiments for both medical and non-medical research; if not, if the ruling has to come from the EU; and the way licensing and subsequent approval or refusal of an experiment would work in a case in which the EU deems it acceptable but Ireland does not. [34469/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1461 and 1665 together.

In accordance with EU Directive 2010/63/EC each Member State must have a competent authority for the purposes of granting or refusing the authorisation of animal studies. In Ireland this function is carried out by the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA).

Each Member State grants or refuses authorisation for animal studies independently of decisions taken in other Member States.

The HPRA exercises its functions in accordance with the above European legislation. This precludes that animal studies are banned outright; rather animal studies can only take place where there are no suitable non-animal alternatives available.