Dr. J.G. Beechinor:

First, the HPRA is pleased to come before the committee today to assist it in its deliberations. I should point out that, as Senator Boyhan mentioned, our job as regulator is to ensure the safety and efficacy of the products and to ensure they comply with the legislation. That is really the nub here. When we look at the development of products, we could talk about antiparasitic drugs. Perhaps the Senator remembers tiabendazole. It came out in 1961 and resistance emerged in 1964. Levamisole came out in 1970 and resistance emerged in 1979, ivermectin came out in 1981 and resistance emerged in 1988, and moxidectin came out in 1991 and resistance emerged in 1995. Basically, we are dealing with precious commodities. We do not have a pipeline of new drugs to effectively deal with resistance. Therefore, I agree with the Senator that we must place animal health centre-stage in this debate.

The Senator asked about the professional qualifications at FETAC level 6. That is not an area for the HPRA and we do not regulate licensed merchants. However, we would acknowledge that licensed merchants have made, continue to make and, we expect, will continue to make a valuable contribution to the supply of anthelmintics into the future.