Dr. Paul Corkery:

I will take that question. The regulation is about risk and providing for a risk of disease. Where a farmer's vet perceives that there is a risk and a requirement for an antimicrobial for a particular disease or condition, that can be done. There is provision for that but we would not like it to be said that there is a stock available on farm. There is a rider on that. The condition is that the vet identified a risk and prescribed for it. The regulation does not allow for prophylactic use of antimicrobials, that is, just-in-case use. There is no provision to give an animal that is clinically healthy an antibiotic. However, where there are conditions that are occurring on a farm which the farmer can identify and in respect of which he or she can administer a medication to prevent the condition - I am speaking of ecoli mastitis, which is a severe, acute, painful condition for an animal and in respect of which there is only a short window in terms of treatment and it is not possible to get a vet on-site on time - the vet, where satisfied that there is a risk of that condition occurring based on history and knowledge of the herd, can provide treatment for therapy but it is limited in the amount. It cannot be a huge stock; it has to be representative of the risk.