Mr. Peter Collins:

The word "disarray" probably comes from a number of inaccuracies that have been mentioned here over the past two weeks by members and witnesses. There was mention of no veterinary participation in the system, no comparable products, that it will not reduce the administrative burden, that it increases border trade and that it reduces accountability. The NVPS will address all those matters. We have had vets working in the system for 12 months, since last December. A total of 20 vets have been using the system as a pilot cohort since 28 January. We have had engagement with and feedback from veterinary practitioners about how the system will work. Since then, we have made significant improvements to the system to make it more user-friendly. That is based on the feedback from those vets.

The issue of comparable products arose. We have had discussions with ICOS and ILMA about producing a comparable list so the vet can prescribe an antiparasitic product and then the licensed merchant or whoever is dispensing the product can choose from a comparable list. That list is being produced. It will be built into the system and is ready to go.

There were comments about this not reducing the administrative burden. Anybody who does not have a system will be able to use the NVPS. It has all that information. We spoke to farmers at the National Ploughing Championships. Every farmer that came to the counter welcomed the NVPS because they will have a digital prescription. They have problems with vets handing them prescriptions. All those records will be in one place at the same time.

Those are only a flavour of issues that will be addressed. I have another ten that I could go through in response to Deputy Carthy saying this is in complete disarray; it is not. We have done user acceptance testing on the system and it is ready to go. We have changed it. We are working with software companies on the integration issue. That is the last matter to address. Everything else is ready.