Irish universities outsource animal testing to overseas laboratories

Irish universities have been outsourcing animal testing to laboratories outside the European Union, spending hundreds of thousands of euros on experiments conducted in the United States, India, and Malaysia. Investigations identified 17 studies conducted between 2020 and 2026 involving animals such as pigs, sheep, rabbits, chinchillas, mice, and rats. These studies covered research areas including diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and women’s health.

Because these experiments occur outside Irish jurisdiction, they fall outside the oversight of the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA). Consequently, the HPRA does not authorize these projects, inspect the overseas facilities, or include the animals in Ireland’s official annual animal use statistics.

Institutions including the University of Galway and RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences have acknowledged commissioning or paying for animal experiments outside the EU. The shift toward overseas research has prompted debates regarding scientific capacity, transparency, and whether such practices bypass EU animal welfare regulations.