Paul Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the witnesses and thank them for their presence. I am fortunate enough to benefit from the great service the vets provide daily and hourly in my area. Unfortunately, in my role here today the praise has to end there and I must be slightly critical.

I would have to be slightly critical based on the Veterinary Ireland submission, which I would like to quote. This is our third meeting on this issue and we have focused mainly on antiparasitic resistance and the need, under the EU regulations, for these to become prescription-only medicines. The submission, at No. 4, page 5, states:

Anti-parasitic medicinal products are a precious resource that must be used only when necessary to preserve their efficacy and ensuring that pasture based livestock production can continue. They cannot be used to attract customers to co-op and merchant stores to sell non-medicinal commodities such as fencing materials and silage plastic. This is not prudent practice and has ultimately led us to the position we find ourselves at present.

That is a very strong statement and one that needs clarification here today. Without going back to quote other sections of the submission, while I have been reading this for political purposes as a politician, I am a farmer, ultimately. It is like learning a second language in that people will always think in their first one. Therefore, I was reading this as a farmer and I noticed some other passages within the presentation. The last page of the submission states, "The removal of any income stream from farm animal veterinary practice will render a proportion of the practices unviable and reduce service and competition in the area." As a farmer, I feel that is very accusing of farmers, responsible persons, licensed merchants and pharmacists in what is said, namely, we are where we are because of their recklessness. I find that a very disparaging and condescending statement.

I have three questions based on what I have read out. Will the witnesses clarify why they went down that road and why they seem to have turned this into an "us and them" issue? It is seen as more of a market share issue than what is our priority here, which is, first, the animal, and second and third, in no particular order, the consumer and the farmer. Veterinary Ireland has very much turned this into an issue of market share and an "us and them" issue, even in regard to its customers, the farmers. Will the witnesses comment?

With regard to the issue of making antiparasitics prescription-only medicines, will the witnesses comment on the fact antimicrobial medicines have been prescription only for more than 30 years, yet antimicrobial resistance has grown immensely within both animals and humans? In the opinion of the witnesses, why will changing the regulation to do the same thing with antiparasitic medicines have any positive effect?