IAVS News Release - for immediate use

The Irish Anti-Vivisection Society (IAVS) has criticised government animal testing inspectors for seeking to conceal their reports on research establishments.

According to a Sunday Times investigation, the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) is refusing to comply with a ruling by the Office of the Information Commissioner (OIC), despite it agreeing that the reports should be anonymised. The OIC have also pointed out that the inspection reports do not contain any intellectual property or commercially confidential information.

The only logical explanation for the HPRA’s extreme secrecy is that it is an attempt to cover-up breaches of regulations, illegal cruelty in Irish labs and/or their failures to inspect thoroughly and enforce animal welfare regulations. It follows a disturbing pattern where the HPRA has broken EU regulations by failing to publish figures for poisoning tests on animals.

The IAVS is deeply concerned that the HPRA has a hidden agenda to avoid regulating animal experimentation as part of a wider government policy to promote commercial interests even if that means turning a blind eye to illegal cruelty. The HPRA’s attempts to suppress these reports are an insult to Irish citizens and a waste of public money.

We are calling on the HPRA to change its antagonistic attitude to democratic accountability and accept the OIC’s ruling.