John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)

I will not take that long. I welcome the Bill. While our spokesperson on agriculture, Deputy Michael Moynihan, is not here because he is in Belfast meeting the Minister of Agriculture for Northern Ireland, Fianna Fáil will be supporting the Bill.

It is a good idea to review the Bill. The Veterinary Practice Act 2005 was the first update of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1931, which was an enlightening piece of legislation. It is a good idea to review a Bill every five years. Often, even though anomalies arise in respect of Bills passed by the Houses they remain on the Statute Book for years without change. I welcome that the Minister of State, Deputy McEntee, and the Minister, Deputy Coveney, have decided to update the Veterinary Practice Act 2005 and to address some of the anomalies contained therein.

Veterinary doctors are a little like doctors, consultants and barristers in that everyone gives out about and criticises them saying their charges are too high and that they monopolise the animal health sector. At the end of the day, we all need veterinary doctors, in particular farmers, the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the pet sector. I believe they have provided us with a good service down through the years. The Minister referred in his speech to the 250th anniversary of the veterinary profession. I join with him in congratulating the profession, which was established in France. The Irish veterinary sector is not that long in being but is more than 100 years old. We have many highly trained veterinarians in this country.

The role of the veterinary profession is important in the animal health sector. Farming is going through a vibrant period. The previous Government introduced the Harvest 2020 strategy, which has been taken on board by the current Minister and Minister of State. It will drive the food industry for the next seven or eight years. There are great opportunities for expansion and development of the food sector and, in turn, to create jobs. As the Tánaiste stated earlier, it is all about jobs. There are also great opportunities in the food sector for the creation of jobs. It is important our products are produced in a green manner. The veterinary sector has a particular role to play in this regard.

The Veterinary Practice Act 2005 introduced many changes. This Bill proposes to empower the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to make regulations to exclude specified practices from the definition of practice of veterinary medicine. Certain procedures which could be interpreted as being reserved for vets or veterinary nurses will no longer be so reserved. The Minister is hoping this amendment will provide the legal certainty for people carrying out certain procedures.

The Department's regulatory impact analysis of the 2005 Act noted a broad and general definition of veterinary practice under the Act which is the subject of varying interpretations. Concerns were expressed that several activities traditionally performed by non-vets may amount to a practice of a veterinary medicine under the 2005 Act. The Veterinary Council of Ireland, VCI, heard concerns from physiotherapists and equine dentists on this matter. It is viewed that some ancillary activities are inadvertently covered by the definition which was not the intention of the 2005 legislation and it has the potential to cause confusion.

A wide consultation process was held by the Department involving the VCI, Veterinary Ireland, the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists, the Equine Dental Association of Ireland, the Farm Relief Service and the Irish Master Farriers Association, along with the Office of the Attorney General and the Department of Health. Interested parties broadly agreed with the aim of securing greater legal certainty with regard to specified activities. The VCI supported the aim but indicated the matter would be preferably addressed under the forthcoming animal health and welfare Bill. Veterinary Ireland also supported this approach. The advice of the Attorney General, however, concluded the issue was best addressed through an amendment to the Veterinary Practice Act 2005. Will the Minister explain why this approach was taken?

Activities identified that may be excluded from the definition of practice of veterinary medicine are set out in the Department's 2011 regulatory impact analysis. These comprise microchipping of companion animals, farriery, scanning of cattle and sheep, bovine hoof trimming, physiotherapy and equine dentistry.

The Veterinary Council was dissolved by the 2005 Act and replaced by the VCI, a self-funding body, which comprises members reflective of broad interests including education, consumer interests, food safety and animal welfare. Its functions include keeping registers, establishing codes of conduct, approving programmes of education and performing an investigative role in regulating the veterinary profession with the power to impose sanctions on members. Will the Minister give an overview as to how this body is working, as we do not hear much about it? Has it imposed any sanctions on any of its members? I note the Minister wants to introduce certain changes in how the council works with proposals for reducing the quorums for council meetings, for example. Does the Minister see problems with how it is currently operating or are these just minor administrative changes?

A 2008 Competition Authority review of the veterinary sector noted a large influx of foreign-trained vets between 2001 and 2007 with up to 40% of new vets registered having qualified outside the State. Has this figure changed since 2008? The authority expressed a concern in its review on Ireland's reliance on other countries to produce vets for Ireland's needs. It recommended the number of vets trained should be closely monitored to ensure no shortage arises in the future. Will the Minister give an update on this?

The Competition Authority also suggested some changes to the provision of non-vets to carry out bovine TB testing services or other routine procedures which would free up vets' time to deal with more complicated procedures. It suggested the Department should consider introducing a new paraprofession of TB testers in a wider context of overall animal health. Is the Department considering implementing these suggestions?

The UK's Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 restricts the practice of veterinary surgery and outlines the works that can be carried out by non-vets in a list that is larger than the one contained in our legislation. Was this legislation examined when drafting our Bill? Will our legislation extend the work that can be carried out by non-vets?

This Bill and the changes it will bring about have been widely welcomed. A high-level consultation process was carried out with the different interested bodies which are quite happy with this amending legislation. Recently, I contacted the IFA about the Bill and it had no comment to make on it.

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