andMr. Gregory-Independent asked the Minister for Health the deletions from, and additions to, the lists of (a) places registered for the performance of experiments on living animals and (b) persons licensed to perform such experiments, as given in a ministerial reply in the Dáil on 29 March 1977.

I am forwarding to the Deputies lists of the places currently registered for the performance of experiments under the Cruelty to Animals Act, 1876, and of the persons licensed to perform such experiments.

153.

andMr. B. Ahern asked the Minister for Health whether care is taken to make sure that all pharmaceutical and chemical firms setting up in the State are legally required to apply to be registered under the Cruelty to Animals Act, 1876, if they intend to carry out tests or experiments with live animals and that the persons likely to be performing such experiments also are required to be licensed before they are entitled to perform such experiments.

Under the provisions of the Cruelty to Animals Act, 1876, experiments on animals may only be performed by persons holding a licence under the Act. A standard condition attached to such licenses requires that the experiments must be performed at places registered under the Act.