John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)

I refer to amendment No. 13 in the names of Deputies Naughten and Crawford. The Minister, Deputy Coughlan, indicated on Committee Stage that she did not believe that this amendment was appropriate for this legislation. There is separate legislation on animal remedies involving the number of statutory instruments made under the Animal Remedies Act 1993. On the point at issue, that is, who is to be allowed to prescribe prescription-only veterinary medicines, this is already covered in the Animal Remedies Regulations 1996 where this function is reserved to veterinary practitioners.

There are concerns arising from the forthcoming implementation of the new EU legislation, particularly with prescribing. However, as the Minister pointed out on Committee Stage, this amendment, if accepted, would copperfasten in primary legislation the exclusive rights of veterinary practitioners as prescribers — from which Deputy Crawford's remarks on the previous occasion appear to be the opposite of his objective. In any event, given that the question of prescribing falls under the animal remedies legislation, I suggest we deal with this matter in that context.

I would have serious concerns if this were to copperfasten in primary legislation the rights of veterinarians only to prescribe because I have had representations from numerous bodies and back bench and Front Bench Deputies on this issue arguing that vets should not be given exclusive rights. The Minister is quite adamant that if this amendment were accepted, we would be saying in effect that vets only can prescribe and that is not acceptable.

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