Dr. Paul Corkery:

No. The prescription is an app on the telephone. It is the same as the app for registering calves. It is simple to use. The vet will be using it very frequently and it will not take very long. As Veterinary Ireland tells us, the prescription is an outcome of the work the vet has done and the knowledge the vet has of the herd. It would be remiss of me to say that we could instruct a vet or a doctor, for example, on what to do. The vet has that discretion in his or her professional training to be able to see what is the right choice based on that farm. It is not one-size-fits-all. It is customised to the particular farm.

I take the 12 months issue on board. We recognise that there is an opportunity for it to be done for cattle at the tuberculosis test, but it is more difficult for sheep. I take the Senator's point.