Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I would like to welcome to the meeting the following officials from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ms Paula Barry Walsh, deputy chief veterinary officer; Mr. Colm Forde, head of endoplasmic reticulum-associated protein degradation, ERAD, and veterinary medicines division; and Ms Caroline Garvan, superintending veterinary inspector, who are all appearing remotely. We received their opening statement, which has been circulated to members. We are limited in our time due to Covid-19 safety restrictions. The committee has agreed that the opening statement will be taken as read so that we can use the full session for questions and answers.

Before we begin, I draw attention to the fact that witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of their evidence to the committee. However, if they are directed by it to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and continue to do so, they are entitled thereafter only to qualified privilege in respect of their evidence. They are directed that only evidence connected with the subject matter of these proceedings is to be given and asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, they should not criticise or make charges against a person, persons or an entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable. Participants at the committee meeting from a location outside the parliamentary precincts are asked to note that the constitutional protections afforded to those participating within the parliamentary precincts do not extend to them. No clear guidance can be given on whether or the extent to which their participation is covered by absolute privilege of a statutory nature.

I invite questions from the members. I call Senator Paul Daly.

I welcome the officials to our meeting and thank the Chair and the secretariat for facilitating it. I will be very brief because many members will have questions for the officials on this issue.

As the officials may be aware, we had a presentation from the Irish Co-operative Organisation Society, ICOS, prior to this engagement. I want a statement from the officials on an interaction I had with ICOS on the antiparasitic resistance stakeholder groups. The officials said in their submission that it had been set up and was attended by the licensed merchants, ICOS, Veterinary Ireland, the Health Products Regulatory Authority, HPRA and Teagasc. There may have been others.

I asked ICOS about the progress of this stakeholder group. In their submission, the officials said there were 30 actions but with six over-arching objectives. No. 6 is to facilitate an efficient, competitive supply chain through effective regulation and innovation. When I asked ICOS about the progress on that objective, the answer I was given was that it had been told to discuss the prescribing regime going forward with the Veterinary Council Ireland, VCI, and that no progress had been made. I have to take its word on that. I ask for a response from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

I ask for feedback from the Department as to why our system of trained responsible persons not defended at drafting stage in the EU? Who were the Department representatives on the expert vet committee? Why did we not put up a fight for our system when this was being drafted? Why was it not defended?

I will leave it at that but I reserve the right to get in again at the end, if time allows.