Paul Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

First, to put on the record, I am a client of Slieve Bloom Veterinary. It probably says a lot about the farmer-vet relationship that this is the first time I have met Mr. Lynch. While his staff, in fairness, have been superb on my partner's farm at home, he and I have not met. We are all talking about the farmer-vet relationship. It a different world we are in, how we are farming, and the practices and the number of staff they have. They provide a fantastic service. I cannot fault it.

From there, I will ask a hypothetical question of both parties. There is a stand-off, let us say, or not a stand-off as such but a problem with this statutory instrument. We heard the merchants. We have to be sympathetic. If half of what they are saying is true, they are gone. What do the witnesses' see as the middle-ground solution? One has to be happy with the way it is, but we all have to compromise in situations like this. Could they see a change to the statutory instrument that might leave everybody happy?

I feel I am obliged to say this. Mr. Geraghty made a statement about co-op vets prescribing. He said what they were doing was prosecutable.