Bobby Aylward (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I have been raising this issue since early 2017 and almost two years on it seems we are no closer to a decision on the six regional veterinary laboratories around the country which are under review. Meanwhile farming families are forced to operate under a cloud of uncertainty as we await the results of the cost benefit analysis the Minister commissioned, which has been going on for well over a year at this stage. There is huge concern in Kilkenny and elsewhere that the six remaining veterinary laboratories may be under threat of closure by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. I remind the Minister that good farming practice, food quality and our branding in this regard will be damaged significantly by any reduction in service. In a written response to a parliamentary question I tabled on this issue in October the Minister stated: "Any decision that is made on the RVLs will be informed by both those consultative processes and the outcome of the CBA." He said that already today. Can the Minister give us a firm indication today of when he will finally make a decision on the RVLs and put this issue to bed once and for all?

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