Vol. 432 No. 3
174 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to any EC action within his area of departmental responsibility against this State in respect of the failure of the State to transpose into Irish law an EC Directive; if so, if he will give details of each such directive; the purpose of the directive; and the reason for his Department's failure to transpose it into domestic Irish law to date.
There has been no such action against the State within my Department's area of responsibility. However, there is a disagreement between my Department and the Commission with regard to the transposition of EEC Directive 86/609. This directive seeks to regulate the use of animals in medical experiments. In Ireland the use of animals in medical experiments is forbidden under the Cruelty to Animals Act, 1876, except where, in the opinion of the Minister for Health, there is a likely benefit to human health.
There is disagreement between my Department and the Commission as to whether the Act constitutes a sufficient transposition of this directive. In this respect we have received a reasoned opinion on the matter which is currently being considered.
