Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 28 September 2021

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine

General Scheme of the Veterinary Practice (Amendment) Bill 2021: Discussion

Photo of Martin BrowneMartin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I congratulate Deputy Cahill on bringing the Bill before us. I have always firmly believed that if things are not broken there is no need to fix them. A comment was made about a shortage of vets. Do we have a shortage of vets in the country? As far as I was aware, we did not. There is also an issue with the supply of medicines. If there is, we may need to look at how things are being regulated and take the issue of the licensed merchants more seriously. Based on my discussions with people, I have gathered that we do not have an issue with getting vets to visit farmyards.

I am sure that the veterinary practices we have across the country, especially in County Tipperary, are as dedicated to their clients as they possibly could be.

I have a couple of questions for the representatives from Veterinary Ireland. I understand it is supporting the Bill, as we all are. Can our guests point out any aspects of the Veterinary Council of Ireland's changes in 2017 that could potentially benefit our farming and pet-owning communities that supporting this Bill might stop? Has Veterinary Ireland any information on the knock-on effects that this may have for existing practices? Deputy Cahill knows that in 2008, the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission recommended that the Minister bring forward legislation amending the Veterinary Practice Act 2005 to allow for incorporated veterinary practices. Where do the Minister and Department officials stand on that issue, in light of all this?