Mr. Peadar Ó Scanaill:

Perhaps we should. Let us see about that. When we are finished with our consultation, perhaps there could be legislative change. We may have to appear before the committee when we have concluded our considerations and we would love to have an opportunity to do so. However, we have to work within the current Act. We are adamant that the control of veterinary medicine is completely in the hands of the vet in respect of who carries out the practice of veterinary medicine and where it can be carried out. A certificate must be supplied by the council to an applicant who must be a registrant and must be a vet. The certificate is non-transferable and applies for four years only. We can also add conditions and apply limitations to it. As far as we are concerned, the regulation of a practice involves regulating the practitioners that provide the service to the public. That is exactly our role and focus. It is not the case that we do not care but the other aspect is a side issue. If an owner wishes to influence the veterinary practitioners and the latter have any concerns about the matter, then it is to ourselves. We have issued a certificate to that premises at and from which the service starts. If there are concerns that the owner is doing anything because of the autonomy of service and the questions that the vets have in terms of how they tend to the animals or what drugs or surgeries they use, that is completely in the hands of the professionals working in it. There is no contract and no one can enter into anything that lowers or diminishes that in any way. It is not that the council does not care but that the Act does not empower us to anything about the specific or actual owner. The Act specifically refers to who provides the service and, specifically, that is practitioners only and they are under our regulations.