Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) is the competent authority in respect of the use of animals for scientific purposes within Ireland. Any project on animals conducted in Ireland must be evaluated by the HPRA in accordance with Directive 2010/63/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes.

This Directive seeks to replace the use of live animals for scientific and educational purposes as soon as it is possible to do so. This legislation applies throughout the European Union and is transposed into Irish law by the European Union (Protection of Animals used for Scientific Purposes) Regulations 2012 (S.I. No. 543 of 2012). Projects must be justified from a scientific point of view or required by law, and must be conducted in the most humane and environmentally sensitive manner possible. This legislation does not apply to any research conducted outside of the European Union. The HPRA does not have a role in conducting an inquiry into alleged breaches of the Global Code of Conduct for Research involving research on animals which was conducted outside of Ireland.