Mr. Peadar Ó Scanaill:

I concur completely with the registrar's reply to Deputy McConalogue. Every one of his concerns formed part of our debate, discussion and thought on this issue. We are quite confident, and I stand firmly with my registrar on this, about putting provision of the service into the hands of the vet only and about specifying only the registrant on the certificate of suitability provided for in primary legislation. If the registrant wishes to close a practice, open one, move it or change it, it will be the registrant's decision to do so. If there are issues of control with which the registrant is unhappy or which in any way affect his or her ability to provide service, the registrant has the ability to move next door.

The Deputy asked about after-hours service. The council does oblige veterinary practitioners not to turn away animals that are in need of succour or emergency treatment, but in fairness, the vet would usually try to come to an arrangement with somebody who is close enough to provide that service. It is not the case that somebody in County Kildare must answer a phone call at any hour from someone in Donegal and then go to the farmer's assistance. If an animal is in need of veterinary attention, we would be asked to go. I do not know if that answers the Deputy's question. The Veterinary Council of Ireland would not, however, say that a given vet must provide a service for Mr. Riordan, a farmer who has only ten animals, if he or she is providing it for Mr. Jones next door, who has 100. We do not get involved in that way.