Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 82: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the status of the animal remedies regulations; the discussions to date with the EU on the issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12038/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy will be aware that the Animal Remedies Regulations 2005, SI 734 of 2005, were signed into law on 17 November 2005. The relevant EU legislation provided for the adoption of criteria for exempting categories of medicines from the general mandatory rule that all medicines for food producing animals should be brought under veterinary prescription control. The draft exemption criteria, which are not yet formal Commission proposals, were published as a consultation document on the Commission's, DG Enterprise, website and the public consultation period ended on 17 March last.

The draft exemption criteria, as currently formulated by the Commission, are very restrictive and would leave very few medicines available off-prescription. My Department has made a submission to the Commission with a view to having them adapted to better reflect the risk-benefit profile of products and to facilitate decisions in this regard to be taken on a scientific basis. There are still a number of stages to be gone through in this process and my Department will engage fully with the Commission in the course of the deliberations in the relevant committees. My best estimate is that the process will not be completed at least until mid year.

As I have already stated publicly, I will review the national prescription and distribution arrangements in consultation with stakeholders when the final shape of the EU exemption criteria is clearer. In particular, I will, depending on the likely outcome, consider whether persons other than vets should be permitted to prescribe veterinary medicines. My intention is to complete the consultative process in time to permit decisions on this issue to be taken well in advance of the 1 January 2007 deadline provided for in the EU legislation.