Mr. Terence O'Shea:

I thank the Deputy. We have discussed this issue previously. The Deputy is very familiar with Kerry, the Iveragh Peninsula, the Beara Peninsula, the Dingle Peninsula, Dunmanus and all of the places where services are getting scarcer and scarcer. If one leaves Kenmare and travels to Cahersiveen or to Killorglin by the scenic route, it is over 130 km and there is only one veterinary practice. That veterinary practice provides a fantastic service. It is involved in the sale of veterinary medicines and so am I and the amazing thing about it is that there is plenty there for everybody. Everybody has enough but the idea, by accident or otherwise, that a statutory instrument can erode a business represents a clear lack of fairness and a lack of understanding of what commercially drives any business today. On numerous occasions we have invited officials in the Department to see what they are legislating. I know one can legislate from a distance but there is a failure to grasp. The most important thing that needs to be said in all of this relates to the access to prescriptions. At its invitation we met Veterinary Ireland a few years ago and it clearly set out its position.

It spoke about the large retailing veterinary practices around the country and clearly stated that it would not be making prescriptions available to its clients to purchase their products - and I think the words used were - "from the likes of you". It would be supplying the products itself.

The principle under which the NVPS was set up was that farmers would engage with a veterinary practitioner. The prescription would be issued online via the NVPS and the farmers could go wherever they wished. If that is the system the statutory instrument is providing for, then the idea that an individual can be refused a veterinary prescription is the same as going to the doctor and the doctor saying the patient cannot go to the chemist and giving the medication himself or herself. That would not be tolerated by pharmacies.