Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome our guests. They all have made a good argument and I compliment them on that. Senator Lombard has covered this issue very well. He has the practical experience of farming - I do not - and he has raised some of the issues that I had intended to raise.

I have two quick questions. They may not be fair questions but I will put them to our guests anyway. I feel and farmers feel they are over-regulated in this country. Are we over-regulated? Why do we always start with where it is going to affect the farmer? Why did the organisations not start by taking on the vets who prescribe the medication for animals? Why does it always have to be the farmer who has to pay the price? Why do we always start at the bottom in this country and not at the top in bringing in regulations? It reminds me that when it comes to Covid-19, every other illness does not matter now. There is only one illness in this country that matters now and that is Covid. People who are dying with cancer, who have mental health issues and every other kind of an issue do not seem to matter now.

Will there not now be a major monopoly with vets prescribing and selling at the same time? We are all human beings, and if there is a profit to be made, naturally enough, they will try to make that profit. I am from rural Ireland and we are finding it hard enough to survive. Farmers and chemists are finding it hard enough to survive, yet we are regulating both out of business now. It seems to be the professional classes looking after the professional classes.