Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The danger with lay ownership, which we are starting to see, is that smaller clients are being dropped while larger customers are retained. In that scenario, only the unprofitable clients are available to a new practice. In a situation where there is not an oversupply of vets, we will not see vets setting up in areas where the pickings are slim. The movement towards lay ownership is creating a problem in that regard and it should not be allowed to continue.