Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)

Tááthas orm deis a fháil labhairt ar an mBille agus tá cúpla rud le rá agam atá an-tábhachtach mar tá an reachtaíocht an-tábhachtach, mar atá an proifisiún an-tábhachtach i saol na tíre agus go mórmhór i saol na talamhaíochta sa tír.

The Veterinary Surgeons Acts 1931 to 1960 will be repealed by the enactment of this legislation, so there is hopefully a considerable body of expertise and experience behind it. Equally there has been quite a change in veterinary practice and conditions around the country in general which require expertise. It is therefore important that this is addressed in a calm and systematic manner.

The state of agriculture in this country has suffered from the closure of many of the abattoirs which provided a local access point for farmers, and the heavy reliance on large meat factories should be on our minds with regard to this legislation and in general. The veterinary profession is a very important part of the ongoing regulations needed to maintain a wide and plenteous network of abattoirs if that could be managed. It would certainly help in terms of options for farmers compared to what currently happens.

It is very important that the Minister takes on board the fear that exists amongst many vets, some of whom I have spoken with. Although the recognition of veterinary nurses is a good development, there is a perceived fear that a person who is not registered or fully qualified as a vet would be empowered to set up in opposition to a vet. The Minister must clarify the matter so there is no reduction or lessening of standards. The high standards which vets must attain in training should be applied to those who wish to be recognised as fully registered. It has been suggested that the registration and recognition of veterinary nurses or "mini" vets, whatever that term means, should be subject to a new examination of the training process. This has happened in other professions, such as nursing and teaching, where recognition has been increased from what the training colleges did to what the colleges of education now do. Similarly, if there is a new level of recognition, it is perhaps necessary to look at the training process so veterinary nurses are equipped beyond that which they do at the moment. This issue should be negotiated between all concerned, rather than being prescriptive.

Many vets in towns and cities work primarily with small animals. However, as previously discussed in the House, not all small animals are treated for the sake of making them healthy or having their lives terminated on humane grounds. Some of them are used in the very dubious and unacceptable practice of fur farming. It represents a very tiny part of the country's economic activity but has a big impact in rural areas, for example, in terms of escaped minks. The issue should be examined again in the context of the general discussion surrounding this legislation as to what we expect vets to do. A vet does not get job satisfaction from being in any way involved in the slaughter of thousands of small animals for the sake of vanity.

Testing, for TB eradication schemes, needs to be reviewed in the context of new and ongoing threats to this country. Luckily, we managed to escape relatively unscathed with regard to the foot and mouth disease epidemic. However, there is still a need to be very vigilant and this legislation gives us an opportunity to re-examine the way in which we test for Johne's disease, IBR, leptospirosis, BCD and others. These have a greater economic impact than in terms of animal welfare or health. The matter should be examined again because the issue must be addressed.

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