Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The purpose of this meeting is to discuss EU Regulation 2019/6 on veterinary medicinal products, which will apply in all EU members states' jurisdictions from 28 January 2022. The joint committee published a report on the regulation of veterinary medicines earlier this year. It put forward ten recommendations, observations and conclusions and highlighted issues regarding responsible persons, possible anti-competitive practices and costs to farmers. Today, officials from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine will be updating us on veterinary medicine regulations. We are joined by Mr. Rob Doyle, deputy chief veterinary officer, Dr. Paul Corkery, senior superintendent veterinary inspector, and Mr. Peter Collins, assistant principal officer. They are all welcome. The officials will have ten minutes to make an opening statement before we move to questions and answers.

Before we begin, I have an important notice on parliamentary privilege. Witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of the evidence they are to give to the committee. However, if they are directed by the committee to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and they continue to do so, they are entitled thereafter only to qualified privilege in respect of their evidence. They are directed that only evidence connected with the subject matter in these proceedings is to be given. They are asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that where possible they should not criticise nor make charges against any person, persons or entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable.

I call on Dr. Corkery to make his opening statement.