Jerry Cowley (Mayo, Independent)

As I value my hands, I was glad to refer the matter to a veterinary surgeon in Westport. Vets do valuable work. It is only right that there would be adequate legislation to ensure that development proceeds correctly in the veterinary trade.

In the Dáil last week I raised the issue of alternative practitioners. The Bill is in stark contrast to the manner in which the Government has treated the regulation of alternative practitioners, who deserve similar legislation. However, we seem to treat our animals better than people on some occasions, of which this is one. With regard to alternative practitioners, animal health will be better regulated than human health following the passage of the Bill.

Staff at Davitt House in Castlebar are to be redeployed because of changes to the single payment system for farmers. I pay tribute to those staff who have worked hard to get the single payment system sorted out — I understand today is their last day. The staff are in limbo because they do not know what is happening, although they deserve to know. Any redeployment would involve shift work, which is unsuitable for those with families. I raised this matter in the House and was present when Deputy Kenny raised it, although the Minister for Agriculture and Food stated I was not present at that time. I raised the matter with her on one occasion.

Changes have been made to the Bill since it was passed in the Seanad. Sections 14 and 22 seem to give the Minister for Agriculture and Food very strong powers, in particular during times of dispute. When those sections are considered with section 45, there is cause for concern. If the provision is to deal with a pandemic, why is this not stated? Why not limit the measure to class A diseases? A future Minister might interpret limited registration differently and it is possible that a court would also do so if some kind of challenge were brought.

My other major concern relates to section 127 whereby authorised officers of the veterinary council can enter and search the premises of a vet without a search warrant, by force if necessary. However, a search warrant must be obtained to search the premises of a lay person. The Minister stated she would discuss this issue with the Attorney General.

I thought the new Bill would give an opportunity to regulate para-veterinary services, such as hoof trimming and so forth. The Minister has not opted to regulate such services at this stage but she might consider it. Although veterinary practice in Ireland is changing rapidly from a mainly agricultural service to a greater percentage of companion animal work, the emphasis of the Bill is still very much on the agricultural side of the practice.

Currently, only vets are eligible to be on the veterinary register. Under the new proposals, the register would contain persons who are not vets but who would have limited registration, such as laboratory scientists. These persons would not have to have a veterinary degree but would be called veterinary practitioners with limited registration. The legislation replaced by the Veterinary Practitioners Bill is the Veterinary Surgeons Act. Some vets see this change as a demotion, believe it or not, as if they were no longer deemed surgeons. The Bill broadens the definition of veterinary practitioners but that may prove misleading in the interests of animal welfare, especially in the treatment of small animals.

There is increased leeway for non-vets to carry out veterinary procedures on animals. Veterinary practitioners with limited registration will flock in, it is felt, from the east of Europe. There is a view that such vets are not trained to the same level as those trained in Irish colleges. Yet the Minister for Agriculture and Food is willing to allow them to set up as veterinary practitioners, which worries vets.

There are onerous entry requirements for veterinary schools as for medical schools. Moreover, the life of a vet, no more than that of a rural doctor, is very tough. It would be easier if they could talk to the animals, as Dr. Doolittle said. As with vets, doctors must treat children who are too young to talk. They have great sympathy with vets, who must deal with animals that cannot describe what is wrong with them.

Vets deserve to be well treated and respected for their qualifications. It is necessary that there would not be unfair competition. A feeling exists that all that would be required to set up as a vet following passage of the Bill is for a person to prove he or she attended a veterinary college and has no criminal record. A further concern is that the potential for falsification of documents is substantial in the countries concerned. The Minister should outline how the Department intends to research and verify documents to prove they are legitimate.

Many staff currently working in the Department of Agriculture and Food in quality control type positions are apparently applying for the new title of veterinary practitioner with limited registration. Would it be fair to let unqualified people loose on the animal population? How would this area be policed? Some vets feel that the Department's plan to prove and investigate these records is inadequate. They think it is unfair to admit to the register those less qualified than vets who may have spent five years studying in veterinary college and another four years completing a PhD, for example. Some feel let down by the Minister's plans to appoint as vets those who are less qualified than Irish vets.

The Veterinary Council of Ireland has a poor ratio of vets to council members. The constitution of the council of 17 members has as few as seven registered veterinary practitioners, and the remainder includes people with no veterinary qualifications. I can see the point of having a broad representation but vets may see this as a further dilution of their authority. The council will include persons nominated by the Minister for Education and Science, the Director of Consumer Affairs and the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, and a veterinary nurse. Vets claim they need to be properly represented on the board and see these appointments as excessive dilution.

It seems unfair to have vets judged, and possibly struck off, by council members who do not have equivalent and relevant qualifications. However, a disciplinary committee is a good thing and vets do not disagree with this. Currently, a vet may only be struck off or fined as appropriate if he or she interferes with TB testing. A good disciplinary body raises the tone of the profession across the board and would help.

It is felt that the veterinary council needs to raise its level of involvement in the profession as a whole, especially in regard to food safety. Council members who are not vets who would meet the standard of approval would include doctors on food safety issues, pharmacists, representatives of the National Drugs Advisory Board, a member of the IFA or a professor in the agriculture department of a university. Vets disagree with representatives of animal welfare agencies who often have no qualifications and, although well-meaning, are often self-appointed and have their own agendas. The animal welfare agencies certainly have a point of view but vets can feel threatened by a council with less veterinary representation.

Considering there are vets throughout the country, is it necessary to have provisions which would allow lay people to carry out emergency veterinary procedures? Vets maintain that it takes less than 20 minutes to answer an emergency call, although some might disagree with that assertion. However, vets have fears regarding such provisions. Some vets regard the legislation as making them feel less wanted. They perhaps do not want lay people to be allowed to provide treatment in emergency situations. It is not that they do not wish for emergency situations to be dealt with, but in terms of human medicine people do not know what constitutes an emergency. They might see a calf injured on the road but not know the best thing to do. They may think it best to run the calf over with a car, or something similarly silly. These are the sort of issues which pass through people's mind and any change is difficult.

I support the thrust of the Bill and have stated my reservations. We value our vets, in particular along the western seaboard. It is important that they be allowed to continue testing for TB as well as their other work. We must ensure that legislation is in place but we must also value our vets.

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