Mr. Terence O'Shea:

I agree with the Senator with regard to the animal health issue. If there is no veterinary practice, or a veterinary practice is very busy, a veterinarian cannot make an on-farm call to every one of the people considered his or her clients, whether they are owners of a dairy herd, a suckler herd or sheep. That is the first and most important thing. Consider a location such as the Iveragh Peninsula in south Kerry. In the 120 miles from Kenmare to Killorglin, there is one veterinary practice, one co-operative store and two licensed merchants. If the current proposal is carried out, both licensed merchants will exit the industry, as will the co-operative. The co-operative will continue to provide other supplies but will exit the industry. All of a sudden, the whole of south Kerry would be serviced by one veterinary practice based in the general area. That veterinary practice provides a fantastic service as it is. It is brilliant and provides a great service. However, to expect a veterinary practice to provide the extra service of going onto farms to provide animal health plans and prescriptions for part-time farmers with nine suckler cows, 43 sheep and a donkey would not work. It would be not be cost effective. It would not be effective in any way. A part-time farmer such as the one I described can now go into his local pharmacy, co-operative or merchant to get advice. Those outlets have provided that advice for more than 20 years. It is a generational thing. Customers do not return unless sound advice is being provided. At the stroke of a pen, that sound advice can be put in the bin. It does not make sense.