Ms Caroline Garvan:

Considerable research is out there in terms of examples of the medicines. Teagasc recently published a paper. There are very high levels of resistance in sheep to the white drenches. There are levels of resistance to the clear treatments, which are the ivermectins. There are also indications of resistance of up to 60% to levamisole, which is the yellow drench.

We have five classes of medicines all based on colour. Research has shown, however, that resistance has developed within seven to eight years of these products coming onto the market. The parasites want to survive so they develop this resistance to combat the medicine. There is, therefore, evidence of resistance to those three classes in particular, namely, the white, yellow and ivermectin families of treatments. The level of resistance out there is frightening. We only have to look to the research to find that. Teagasc has done extensive research nationwide on this on the dairy to beef farms and found the levels of resistance increasing. It did a study in 2015 and went back in 2019. The resistance had jumped from 60% to 100%, in particular, with the white drenches. The information is readily available.

Just to go back to the Deputy's query about the financial burden on the farmer, of course, we are extremely concerned and aware of this impending change and burden on the farmer. There is, however, also the perspective that if the right medicine is used, the animals will not suffer or get scour. They will thrive better so they will finish quicker. There is, therefore, a cost benefit to the farmer and to everybody if we use them based on best practice. This best practice will be adopted and developed through the stakeholder group. It will be adopted by vets, all the key stakeholders and farmers. Guidance will be developed for everybody to improve the use of these products in the sector and improve the picture of the resistance. That is where we are trying to get to and the end result will be less of a financial burden on the farmer.

The other thing I want to come back on is that because it becomes prescription only, the vet does not have to administer the medicine or go onto the farm every time a farmer needs it. A prescription is issued as a one-off and the farmer is then free to go wherever he or she so chooses to get that medicine. The Deputy will be aware, in most cases, it is not an immediate treatment. It is prescribed over the grazing period. A person, therefore, gets the prescription on day one and can go to his or her licensed merchant whenever he or she needs that product. The person is not duty-bound to buy it all from the vet at that time. The Department has never been of the view the vet must administer this treatment. This was never in our view because we understand the cost and practicalities of getting a vet on the farm. Prescription-only medicine does not mean the vet administers the medicine.