Michael McCarthy (Labour)

I too thank the Minister for dealing with this in terms of her own amendment. We discussed the matter on Second Stage. Graduates leave the veterinary college after six years of very hard study and then arrive on to the practical field of their profession with, in some cases, no internship and, therefore, no experience. They might have the knowledge but they would not have the practical experience of carrying out procedures.

With regard to the Garda college, no trainee garda would go through the practicalities of learning to breathalyse somebody until they were qualified in dealing with the issue. Equally, a nursing student would go through the rigours of carrying out various intravenous and injection procedures based on experience accrued during the practical stage of his or her course. This is an important point.

Many of the veterinary practices are extremely busy and many are of different sizes and must deal with the resources available to them. Therefore a situation could possibly arise whereby somebody who owns and is in charge of a practice would rely on new and fresh graduates to carry out procedures that should only be carried out by those who are experienced and by senior practice members. There is a double-edged sword in terms of the work being carried out by the newly-qualified veterinary surgeon, the level of remuneration available to that graduate for the work carried out and the delivery of service, bearing in mind the welfare of the animal. It is not fair in terms of the welfare of animals or the service delivered to the animal owner that somebody would arrive in a yard to carry out a procedure which he or she has not carried out heretofore and, therefore, would not have practical knowledge of. In that respect the Minister's amendment deals conclusively with that issue. While there have been many calls for the legislation in recent years this is matter that should be borne in mind.

In regard to the educational aspect there is a need to be cognisant of the manner in which people can practice and operate within the profession once qualified. They should have the appropriate qualifications to allow them carry out the procedures but there is the important issue of the level of practical knowledge and experience a person would have accrued, not least to protect people from unscrupulous employers. I do not say they are prominent in this profession but it is an issue of which we need to be cognisant.