UCC Spend on Live Lab Animals Surpasses €1m since 2009

UCC has spent in excess of €1 million buying live animals for scientific experimentation in the period between 2009 and 2014.While UCC’s annual spend on live animal models during this period has dropped annually since a high point of €233,189 in 2010, the figure for the 2013/14 academic year remains high, totalling €174,553.In total 40,417 live animals were bought by UCC for use in scientific testing during the 5-year period. While the overwhelming majority of this figure was made up of mice (35,376), other animals such as rabbits (16), guinea pigs (20), poultry (27) and fish (374) were also purchased by the university. Despite UCC’s reduced annual spend in this area, the number of live rats bought for experimentation has increased from 410 in 2009 to a total of 1,028 in 2013/2014.However, during this period the numbers of mice and pigs has been reduced by over 50%, and the university have bought zero poultry or fish since 2012. The drop-off in the purchases of certain animals follows a European Commission directive designed to reduce, and ultimately replace the use of animals in scientific testing which was adopted in September 2010.Anita Maguire, Vice President for Research and Innovation at UCC, stated that while alternatives do exist, the use of live animals in testing has produced many scientific benefits: “While alternatives to live animal models are widely used within UCC, the use of animals in state-funded scientific research has produced beneficial results to human health that could not otherwise have been achieved.”The university declined to confirm how many of these animals were ultimately euthanized, citing sections 32(1)(b) and 32(1)(c) of the Freedom of Information Act 2014, which allows for the refusal of disclosure if doing so may endanger the life or safety of any person, or facilitate the commission of an offence.UCC also declined to identify the suppliers of the animals purchased, stating only that they were sourced from commercial suppliers in the UK, with the exception of fish and pigs which were sourced in Ireland.A spokesperson for UCC’s Animal Experimentation Ethics Committee confirmed that any researcher wishing to use animals in testing must first prove that no alternatives exist. Additionally, a harm-benefit analysis is carried out, in order to ensure that any harm, pain or distress which the experimentation may cause the animal is justified by the potential benefits.Earlier this year Trinity College Dublin was reported to have spent €387,391.92 on live animals between January 2013 and November 2014, while University College Dublin’s spend in the same period exceeded €200,000.