Mr. Tim Drea:

Effectively, we have of legislation and the Minister authorises the officers of the IHRB which gives them the powers in the legislation. Then we have the memorandum of understanding which is an agreement between the two parties around how the IHRB will exercise those powers. An authorised officer under the 1993 veterinary medicines legislation can deal with cattle and farmers, and has the powers to do all that. The memorandum of understanding sets out how IHRB officers will work, given their role and where they will operate. They are focused on thoroughbred horses, people associated with them and places where they might be. It gives them more scope in that sense and the powers set out in legislation to search, seize and sample. It basically gives them the powers that the Department has.