Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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732. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is satisfied that the implementation of the Veterinary Medicinal Products, Medicated Feeds and Fertilisers Regulation Bill 2023 will not adversely affect the ability of veterinary pharmacists to work within the PSI code of conduct for pharmacists and prevent them from working in accordance with the regulatory requirements for registered pharmacists and registered retail pharmacy businesses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8602/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I am satisfied that the Veterinary Medicinal Products, Medicated Feeds and Fertilisers Regulation Bill 2023 does not require veterinary pharmacists to carry out any activity that prevents them from working in accordance with the regulatory requirements for registered pharmacists and retail pharmacy businesses or working within the PSI Code of Conduct for Pharmacists.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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733. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has consulted with the Department of Health in relation to the viability of rural community pharmacies, given the potential impact this Veterinary Medicinal Products, Medicated Feeds and Fertilisers Regulation Bill 2023 may have on their veterinary dispensing business, which may in turn impact on their viability for supply of human medicines to local rural economies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8603/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) officials have consulted extensively with stakeholders on the Veterinary Medicinal Products, Medicated Feeds and Fertilisers Regulation Bill 2023, including meeting with officials from the Department of Health. This is an important piece of legislation and I wanted to make sure that all relevant stakeholders and groups were actively involved in the process.

Ensuring the continued supply of veterinary medicines using existing supply chains, which have served the sector well over many years throughout the country, and ensuring that farmers continue to have a choice in purchasing their medicines through the development of the national veterinary prescription system, which is established in this legislation, is a key objective of mine.

I am very much aware of the importance of all local businesses to rural economies and I am working on ensuring that businesses who have played a key role in providing veterinary medicines to farmers continue to do into the future.