Dr. Paul Corkery:

We are4 always open to changing course if it is necessitated. The question in some regards relates to the question asked by Senator Daly about decoupling. That matter, as Deputy Carthy knows, was discussed at length in the European Parliament. It looked at whether there is evidence to suggest that with regard to antimicrobials, decoupling would improve the situation and reduce the amount of antimicrobials dispensed. It did in Sweden but other member states, which I would prefer not to mention, that have coupled are the heaviest users of antimicrobials. There was another matter. It was considered that if we decoupled in countries that had not decoupled prior to the treaty that introduced the Single Market it could amount to a state aid if one sector were prioritised over another.

On the previous occasion I came before the committee I mentioned a situation where a vet is asked to attend to an animal on an island. The vet can determine what is wrong, make a diagnosis, decide what the treatment is and issue a prescription. Is this any good to the islander if the vet walks away and says the animal cannot be treated because dispensing and prescribing have been decoupled? These are the reasons behind it. It is not only in Ireland but in the European Union. The feeling at the European Parliament was this cannot happen. There are parliamentary debates to support this.

The Chair asked about prescriptions being issued at the start of the year. For example, when the herd health plan is being made for dairy farmers they may be issued a prescription for fly tags or pyrethroids to prevent flies during the summer. We may then not have a very dry warm summer, such as what we had this year, when there are an awful lot of flies. The product would not have to be dispensed.

It is the same with regard to what the Senator said about the flukicide. If a person does not believe he or she has a problem, just because it is on the prescription-----