Mr. Gerry Neary:

We have precedent at the moment in France with a similar situation with a company, which would also be involved in the Irish scene, whereby the practice has been delisted on investigation. This is the important part. The French veterinary council investigated the structure. To find these things out, you must investigate. They investigated the situation and they found that the ownership structure and the share structure of the business was 50.1% for the veterinary practitioner and 49.9% for the company. In other words, it was a majority shareholding for the vets. On deeper examination, however, 99% of the revenue was going to the small shareholders. It is just a paper exercise to meet the requirements of the French law.

Where do the corporates go? We would still be of the opinion that they should not be operating in this country and our legislation does not allow them to operate in this country. Our animal remedies regulations certainly do not allow them to operate in the way that they are operating. The Veterinary Practice Act lists acts of veterinary medicine and it numbers in particular an act of veterinary medicine as the purchase, sale and supply of prescription drugs. If it is examined forensically, the current situation is totally in breach of that law.