Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Okay. The chief veterinary officer wrote to the Commission and the reply received confirmed that in order to avail of the derogation a professional would have to be prescribing under national law on the date. On 14 July, my colleague, Deputy Cowen, who I welcome to the meeting, then the Minister for Agriculture and the Marine, responded to a parliamentary question I submitted saying:

... it is the intention of my Department to provide for Responsible Persons who operate within the Licensed Merchant sector to continue to have a role in the dispensing of veterinary medicinal products as provided for in the current legislation (heretofore).