Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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I welcome the Minister, Deputy McConalogue.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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Amendments Nos. 2 to 4, inclusive, 6 and 8 to 15, inclusive, are related and will be discussed together. Will the Minister address this cluster of amendments please?

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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These amendments have come back from the Seanad following further engagement on the Bill.

Amendment No. 2 is necessary to alter the definition of "companion animals" to set out that the animals concerned are to be kept for domestic purposes only. By way of an example, this is to ensure that when this Bill applies to companion animals, we are not putting dogs used in racing in breeding, or animals kept in a zoo, into that same category.

Amendment No. 3 is necessary to allow the Minister to make regulations in respect of a specific category of animals, such as companion animals, as well as animals generally.

The purpose of amendment No. 4 is to add clarity to this subsection.

Amendment No. 6 is necessary to clarify that this subsection refers to a pharmacist operating from a retail pharmacy business.

Amendments Nos. 8 and 9 are necessary to align and dovetail subsections 5(b) and 6(c) regarding registration on the databases, as they are ambiguous as they presently stand. These amendments will bring clarity to the wording of the subsection.

Amendment No. 10 is necessary to provide additional clarity for people not familiar with legislation on veterinary medicine, such as users of companion animal medicines.

Amendment No. 11 is necessary to clarify that the products that may be permitted under Article 110, use of immunological veterinary medicinal products, or Article 116, use of veterinary medicinal products not authorised in a member state, and the marketing of such products, is authorised in another member state when animal or public health concerns so require derogation.

Amendment No. 12 relates to a grammatical issue and amendment No. 13 is a technical amendment.

Amendment No. 14 is necessary to set out the sections under which a fixed payment notice may issue.

Amendment No. 15 is necessary to remove unnecessary wording without changing the function of the title.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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I take it that the companion animals are human companion animals and not companions of each other.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I think so.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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Right. Good.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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Amendments Nos. 5 and 7 are related and will be discussed together.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Amendment No. 5 is necessary to allow me to make regulations for dispensing of veterinary medicinal products in a research environment. Amendment No. 7 is necessary as the matter is deemed substantive. This provision continues the current practice of allowing a veterinarian not to provide a veterinary prescription for a companion animal if the owner of the animal agrees. The owner of such an animal may, of course, request a prescription and a prescription must be issued in such circumstances.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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That is a great lot of agreement. I thank all the Members very much.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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Agreement to the Seanad amendments is reported to the House and a message will be sent to Seanad Éireann acquainting it accordingly.

It was a pleasure doing business with the Minister and Deputies.