Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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640. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the progress to date in ensuring that approved merchant stores will continue to sell veterinary medicines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44396/20]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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All stakeholders who are currently permitted to sell veterinary medicinal products (VMPs) under national legislation will continue to be able to sell VMPs following the new veterinary medicines Regulation coming into effect in January 2022. This includes Licensed Merchants. However, from January 2022, antiparasitic VMPs will require a veterinary prescription before they can be sold.

Several stakeholders, including Licensed Merchants, have raised concerns about the potential impact of this change in regulation. To address this, as well as the overarching issue of the worrying development of resistance to the limited supply of anti-parasitic products, my Department has established an Antiparasitic Resistance Stakeholder Group which is chaired by the Chief Veterinary Officer. This group has an extensive work programme and its considerations are being guided by two principal objectives:

- Protecting the efficacy of antiparasitics which are critical to the Irish pasture-based farming production model.

- Establishing a regulatory system that is pragmatic, retains a substantive role for existing stakeholders and delivers value for money for farmers.

I can assure you my Department is fully committed to working with all stakeholders in considering how best to implement the new EU Regulations on veterinary medicinal products and will continue to engage with all stakeholders on the matter.