asked the Minister for Health if he will supply the following details of experiments carried out in each of the years 1983, 1984 and 1985 under the Cruelty to Animals Act, 1876; (a) the total number of experiments carried out on animals; (b) the number of cases in which the animals were anaesthetizied; (c) the number of animals that died as a result of these experiments; and (d) the number of experiments carried out on each of the following animals: dogs, cats, monkeys, horses, rabbits, rats, mice, other rodents, guinea pigs, sheep, cattle, other mammals, and amphibians; and the number of each that survived the experiments.
Written Answers. - Animal Experiments.
92.
The information sought by the Deputy is being given in the form of a tabular statement in so far as it is available.
Following is the statement:
|
1983 |
1984 |
1985 |
|
|
Total number of procedures carried out on animals. |
22,582 |
23,273 |
Not yet available. |
|
Total number of animals used. |
36,288 |
36,831 |
Not yet available. |
1983.
|
Animal |
Number of Procedures |
Number of Animals Used |
Number of Animals Used |
With Anaesthesia but with permitted recovery |
|
|
With Anaesthesia |
Without Anaesthesia |
||||
|
Dogs |
125 |
122 |
43 |
8 |
71 |
|
Cats |
31 |
31 |
124 |
3 |
4 |
|
Monkeys |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
Horses |
5 |
5 |
5 |
— |
— |
|
Rabbits |
4,731 |
7,661 |
30 |
7,403 |
228 |
|
Rats |
4,700 |
6,132 |
1,717 |
3,074 |
1,341 |
|
Mice |
10,757 |
19,073 |
828 |
17,789 |
456 |
|
Guinea Pigs |
393 |
695 |
227 |
456 |
12 |
|
Other Rodents |
123 |
741 |
20 |
717 |
4 |
|
Sheep |
460 |
760 |
7 |
148 |
605 |
|
Cattle |
604 |
709 |
126 |
463 |
120 |
|
Other Mammals |
12 |
14 |
6 |
3 |
5 |
|
Amphibians |
130 |
130 |
130 |
— |
— |
|
Total |
22,071 |
36,073 |
3,163 |
30,064 |
2,846 |
1984
|
Animal |
Number of Procedures |
Number of Animals Used |
Number of Animals Used |
With Anaesthesia but with permitted recovery |
|
|
With Anaesthesia |
Without Anaesthesia |
||||
|
Dogs |
197 |
178 |
86 |
12 |
80 |
|
Cats |
6 |
6 |
6 |
— |
— |
|
Monkeys |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
Horses |
6 |
6 |
— |
6 |
— |
|
Rabbits |
5,059 |
7,562 |
90 |
7,252 |
220 |
|
Rats |
7,554 |
6,595 |
1,554 |
3,450 |
1,591 |
|
Mice |
6,808 |
18,770 |
472 |
17,000 |
1,298 |
|
Guinea Pigs |
622 |
787 |
85 |
702 |
— |
|
Other Rodents |
312 |
650 |
30 |
604 |
16 |
|
Sheep |
872 |
759 |
8 |
719 |
32 |
|
Cattle |
970 |
692 |
— |
632 |
60 |
|
Other Mammals |
154 |
116 |
15 |
56 |
45 |
|
Amphibians |
243 |
243 |
213 |
— |
30 |
|
Total |
22,803 |
36,364 |
2,559 |
30,433 |
3,372 |
In cases where experiments are permitted without the use of anaesthesia (i.e. non-surgical experiments) there is no requirement to kill the animal after the experiment.