Help end animal testing and prioritise better science

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Your selected constituency is Cavan / Monaghan. If this is correct complete the form below to send a message to your TDs. If this is the wrong constituency then use the dropdown menu to select the correct one.

TDs in Cavan / Monaghan constituency

Matt Carthy TD (SF)

Brendan Smith TD (FF)

Niamh Smyth TD (FF)

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Dear (each TD will get a separate, personalised email),

As you may know, over 100,000 animals are still used in outdated, crude and cruel experiments in Ireland every year, and millions are used throughout Europe. This needn’t be the case. We have an opportunity to make Ireland a global leader in developing better human-relevant non-animal science.

The animal testing ban for cosmetics is a great example of how this can be done. When that ban came into force, there was opposition within the cosmetics industry and not all of the tests being used had non-animal replacements. However, the ban led to extraordinary scientific innovation in the field of non-animal testing and has resulted in a seachange in the cosmetics industry, where there is almost universal acceptance that the old animal tests are unnecessary and that the replacement science is better.

We now need your help to build on the prohibition of animal testing for cosmetics and expand that to other industries as well. If we can ensure the safety of cosmetics without animal experiments, then we can also do so for chemicals, household products, food, pharmaceuticals and more.

Here are 7 things you could advocate for to help progress this issue:

1. Appoint a Minister for Human Relevant Science to drive the transition, which is necessary to ensure safety and advance treatments for diseases.

2. Develop a cross-departmental action plan to accelerate the transition to animal-free research and testing. The roadmap will outline legislative and non-legislative actions, set against timescales to reduce animal testing, with a finite and fixed end date to ultimately end animal testing in Ireland as a matter of urgency.

3. Set up an expert advisory task force comprising representatives from government, industry, academia, and non-governmental organisations. This group will actively engage in pioneering initiatives to advance animal free innovation.

4. Commission a mandatory review of all animal procedures to delete redundant, duplicative, and wasteful methods, and prohibit the retesting on animals of any material, chemical, food or drug currently in use for any reason. Retesting requirements shall be addressed exclusively by non-animal methods or existing human data (from clinical trials or epidemiological studies).

5. An annually reviewed five-year animal welfare strategy. Such a plan would facilitate a cross-departmental approach to ensuring that the needs of animals are given proper consideration throughout policy making.

6. Diverting existing funding, resources, and expertise to the paradigm shift towards non-animal approaches, including improved use of existing methods combined to meet specific research needs, whilst recognising the need to go beyond 'like-for-like' replacement of individual animal tests.

7. Amend legislation to phase out animal testing and support a full transition to non-animal approaches. ‘Future proof’ all legislation to allow adaptation to scientific advancements in the development of new non-animal approaches.

This is a non-exhaustive list from Lush Cosmetics and you can learn more about what they and partner organisations are calling for at FightingAnimalTesting.com

Will you add your voice to these calls to end animal testing and back better science?

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Yours sincerely
etc,