Johnny Guirke (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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302. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to ensure that farmers have adequate access to veterinary services and competitively priced veterinary medicinal products. [51447/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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All current suppliers of veterinary medicines will continue to be legally permitted to supply medicines post-January 2022. 

The Department is actively working with all stakeholders to sustain a competitive market for the supply of these products.

The ambition is to ensure Irish farmers are empowered to purchase medicines from their supplier of choice. Initiatives such as the development of a National Veterinary Prescribing System (NVPS) will help deliver on this ambition. The NVPS will result in a prescription being made available to a farmer by choice of email or text. Farmers can then engage with Licensed Merchants, veterinary pharmacists or their veterinary practitioner in getting their prescription dispensed.

I also intend to allow for generic/alternative veterinary medicines be dispensed based on the active substances on the prescription, further reducing costs for farmers and suppliers of veterinary medicines alike.

There are currently 775 registered veterinary practices in Ireland and 3,168 veterinary practitioners and 1,160 veterinary nurses.

The Department carried out research and analysis into the distribution and accessibility to farmers of large-animal veterinary services in rural Ireland. This analysis suggests large-animal veterinary services are available within 20km of over 95% of Irish farms. The Department will continue to monitor this position closely to ensure Irish farmers are adequately supported with the provision of veterinary services in the best interests of animal health and welfare.