Ms Paula Barry Walsh:

I will deal with the first part of that question about the responsible people. We recognise the qualifications of responsible people. These are the persons who are currently giving out veterinary medicines and antiparasitics. Due to the fact that we were involved in the drawing up of the course, we are well aware that they are trained not only to sell antiparasitics but they are required to retail other categories of veterinary medicines that can be supplied to date other than the antiparasitics.

They continue to be dispensed. I do not want to repeat myself with regard to prescription-only medicines. When one goes into a pharmacist with one's own health prescription, that does not mean one does not have some questions for a knowledgeable person at the point of sale. We always consider that they have an important role to play. There are other veterinary medicines that are retailed from licensed merchants. Rather than saying whether people will be let go, which is something I cannot reply to, I can say the Department is very focused on ensuring the licensed merchants remain viable and active. It is in that context we see a suite of arrangements such as those laid out by my colleague. Those arrangements are focused on ensuing that licensed merchants as an entirety will remain viable and, within that, will have the employees they need.

A question was asked about the UK and SQPs. What we find now is that Ireland is aligned with member states. We are in the European Union and we are aligned with member states. That is not a surprise to us. It was not necessarily something that we set out to do as a particular policy. I would point out that the UK has often been an outlier. Of course now it is outside of the European Union with Brexit. We are aligned with our member states in the context that other member states also use veterinary prescription for the issue of antiparasitic products.

May I pass over to my colleagues regarding opinions and letters to the EU and from the EU?