Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent) | Oireachtas source

My first question is on the prescriptions. What percentage of them are currently being processed on the NVPS? Would the Minister of State and the officials accept that vet-only prescribing will not meet regulations, because there will be no competition? Anyone with a grain of common sense can see that. There will not be competition and it will lead to less availability. Objective 5 of Regulation (EU) 2019/6 states:

This Regulation aims to reduce the administrative burden, enhance the internal market and increase the availability of veterinary medicinal products, while guaranteeing the highest level of public and animal health and environmental protection.

Do the Minister of State and the officials accept the responsible person and the veterinary pharmacist have critical roles to play if this objective is to be achieved? Their roles are not apparent from the draft regulations. Do the Minister of State and the officials acknowledge that as a result of the moves made by the Department in 2012 to endorse a personal qualification for the responsible persons that committed them to include several prescribing responsibilities, responsible persons were prescribing these medicines when the EU regulation came into force in 2019?

I would like answers to those questions. I am calling for a fair resolution here. There is going to be a lot of wrong done and much of it to rural businesses. I am concerned about that. This must be got right. There must be proper collaboration with the stakeholders who have provided the Department with a legal opinion.