Mary Wallace (Meath, Fianna Fail)

All the issues are being considered. One area of concern was the expectation that the Commission would adopt the draft criteria proposals after the meeting at the end of March, but no formal decision was taken and we still await one. At the end of this year we can go in one of two directions, depending on the result of the Commission's deliberations. We will have to consider the Deputy's suggestion that people other than vets be allowed to prescribe items such as wormers in the context of the criteria the Commission sets, because the answer to his question hinges on them. If we are successful in our proposal that the position on wormers remain as it is today, the question will not arise. It will only arise if the criteria turn out to be as strict as the Commission currently proposes. We are fighting the case because we would prefer the status quo to remain.

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