Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank our guests. There is acceptance by the committee, by the industry and by all stakeholders in it that we can proceed with the dispensing duties of antimicrobials by vets exclusively. The issue here is antiparasitics. The background to this is our commitment to an all-Ireland economy, our commitment to the Good Friday Agreement, striving to ensure that the protocol is in place and that it is enforced. This is so that local products, in the North for example, can be labelled Irish and can by association be labelled European and, by association again, they can be in a position to be marketed to those markets and those third markets that the EU has agreed on behalf of its citizens and its member countries. They also have the other option, too, if they so wish, and that is the beauty of the protocol. That is recognising the huge improvements there have been in recent years in relation to that economy and our products and the efforts that are made to ensure that there is uniformity in relation to animal healthcare and so forth.

This is a proposal in relation to the national veterinary prescription system. I was listening to Mr. Collins. Is it correct that the Department is proceeding on 3 December with its implementation? Is it correct that that system will not cater for the responsible person within these outlets as it presently stands?