Animal welfare groups have hit out at Government plans to implement a loophole clause allowing Ireland to carry out experiments that inflict severe pain on animals in spite of an EU directive.

New regulations governing animal experimentation are due before the Dáil.

Irish colleges have spent over €3m buying live animals for experimentation since 2005.

Just 66 inspections were carried out at organisations who conducted experiments on 818,000 animals over a six-year period.

THE number of animals used for experimentation in Irish laboratories has rocketed 800% in five years, raising serious concerns among welfare groups.