Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I have a further broad question as it has come up at other meetings and it is fair we put the question to Mr. Geraghty even though I suspect I know the answer. People who do not know the sector are surprised to learn that vets prescribe and dispense, often in the exact same location at the same time. It would not be tolerated in human health on an ongoing basis. A number of discussions have centred on the notion of decoupling which takes place in other European countries where the vet is akin to the doctor and people would go elsewhere, as a way of avoiding further antiparasitic and antimicrobial resistance. What is Mr. Geraghty's view on that and does he have concerns that a rouge or incompetent vet would be incentivised to potentially over-prescribe because they are also selling the product they are prescribing? Every sector will have people of that nature. Does Mr. Geraghty have a view on the notion of decoupling?