Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

First, it is the job of the competition authority to protect the consumer. Between 2005 and 2017, that was working perfectly well. When the interpretation of legislation was changed in 2017, the competition authority did not raise any issues. However, I think the witnesses have conceded that the VCI, which is the regulatory body, has no control over lay operators and that is a fundamental point. I have a question for Mr. McHugh. The regulatory body has no control over the ownership of practices. Suppose the owner of a practice is buying veterinary medicines and supplying veterinary medicines that are prescribed drugs and which, I read this earlier, clearly is in contravention of the animal remedies regulations. Does he consider what is happening and what the VCI has allowed to happen to be legal?