Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The benefit of this Bill is that we will be able to bring in legislation in areas left to national discretion in a manner that is most appropriate to Irish agriculture, with a view to protecting animal health and ensuring that the market for veterinary medicinal products and medicated feeds is an effective, equitable and functioning one. The introduction of the proposed prescribing database will allow for the direct uploading of all generated veterinary prescriptions to a centralised cloud in order that, once they are generated, the animal keeper will be sent a copy of the prescription or token via email or SMS. This is similar in some respects to a human prescription being emailed to a pharmacy, a practice we are all used to. The veterinary prescription can then be dispensed by either the prescribing vet or another dispensing party, such as a licensed merchant or operator, pharmacist or medicated feed mill, on presentation of the electronic prescription, token, bar code, PIN, etc.

The legislation will also allow the Minister to capture the processed fertiliser data. Collecting such information will improve traceability in respect of fertiliser use. It will facilitate and improve compliance. It will also allow Ireland to meet our commitment to the European Commission arising out of the recent review of the nitrates action programme and the extension of Ireland's nitrates derogation.

The making of regulations under the Bill will provide the animal keeper or farmer and the community with a much greater choice as to where they may obtain their veterinary medicine and will potentially reduce the administrative burden as a key objective of the EU regulation for those prescribing, dispensing and purchasing veterinary medicinal products, VMPs, as well as positively impacting animal and human health.

The introduction of a national database and a system to record prescriptions of VMPs can potentially simplify record keeping. It will also provide greater regulatory oversight of those involved in the general prescription, dispensing and use of VMPs. The greater oversight will ultimately protect those meeting their regulatory function. It will also allow Ireland to meet its reporting requirements under the EU regulation. The Bill will facilitate the recording of fertiliser sales data and will not impact the ability to purchase fertiliser. It will also reduce the administrative burden for farmers participating in the proposed national targets. In addition, the proposed database will provide reliable data to farmers, which they can then use to qualify for possible voluntary industry sustainability initiatives that will reward their actions.

The Bill is more than welcome. We need to move on it as quick as we can.

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