Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I would like to be associated with Deputy Carthy's remarks about Deputy Cahill. He has been a very fair Chairman of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine, of which I am also a member. I also welcome the Minister of State to the House.

The network of Irish family farms has a unique and personal relationship with the country's vets. Our vets know the farms that they deal with. They know the history of the livestock, the kind of land they are dealing with and the farmers' needs and demands. This unique relationship must be protected. We must ensure that this important relationship, which works for everyone involved, continues unimpeded. One thing that is certain when it comes to the welfare of our agriculture sector is that nothing can be left to chance. We have seen that at the aforementioned Oireachtas committee in the context of the demands of our foresters and the situation in which they find themselves. We have also seen it when it comes to the Common Agricultural Policy, CAP, and how seemingly small details like the wording of parts of the good agricultural and environmental conditions can have a huge bearing on the ability of farmers to farm their land. Of course, we have seen how the setting of ambitious targets without adequate preparation have left those industries reliant on horticultural peat in fear of their livelihoods.

In 2017, the VCI analysed its code of conduct and clarified that contrary to previous interpretations, there is no statutory basis for requiring the ownership of veterinary practices to be limited to practising vets. This has the potential to open the door to corporate ownership, which could have a severe and detrimental impact on animal health and the ability of our farmers to get the help they need when they need it. Why do we have these fears? First, there is the corporate mentality that has the habit of putting profit margins ahead of the common good. Right now, veterinarian-owned practices have a unique relationship and bond with our farmers. They feel that it is an absolute necessity to ensure that a 24-7 service is available to all farmers and that the same high standards would apply, no matter the size of the farm. If such decisions were left to corporate-owned practices, then profit margins could dictate who is worth calling to and who is not. This would have a significant impact on small farmer's livelihoods. This is not the kind of service that would be good for our farmers, their livestock or the industry as a whole.

Second, there is the matter of standards. Right now there are concerns that corporates incentivise the sale of antibiotics.

We are in a time when the animal welfare policies in the EU and Ireland are moving in opposite directions. The EU is trying to ensure that antibiotics are only used where absolutely necessary. Otherwise, their effectiveness may fall and an animal health crisis will be on our hands.

Then there is the issue of oversight. Individual vets are overseen by the Veterinary Council of Ireland but corporate practices themselves are not. This could put vets in an uncomfortable situation, being torn between the demands of their employers and those of the regulatory body. Veterinary Ireland is in favour of practices being owned by vets and a Behaviour & Attitudes poll from March 2019 found that the majority of vets are against corporate ownerships. This is not without good reason.

History shows that once corporate ownership of veterinary practices takes hold, their growth is rapid. Thankfully, only ten practices in the South are owned by these businesses but in Britain and the North, the rate of corporate ownership went from 0% to 10% between 1999 and 2009, and grew to 50% by 2020. It has been forecast that this could reach 70% by 2022. We cannot risk this happening and that is why I am supporting this Bill to prohibit anyone other than a veterinary practitioner from owning a practice. Our family farmers are under enough pressure. They do not need any more unexpected challenges coming their way.

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