3 days ago
Oireachtas agri committee to grill stakeholders on vet medicines bill
The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, and Food will hear from stakeholder bodies in the veterinary sector this week on the Veterinary Medicinal Products, Medicated Feed and Fertilisers Regulation Act 2023.
The committee will meet today (Wednesday, June 11) from 3:30p.m for an examination of the impacts of the bill. The meeting will take place in Committee Room 4 of Leinster House.
From 3:30p.m to 4:20p.m representatives from Merchants Alliance Ireland will address the Oireachtas committee.
Merchants Alliance Ireland was formed by the Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (ICOS), the Irish Licensed Merchants Association (ILMA) and Acorn Independent Merchants, to represent mutually shared interests on areas of joint concern for the agricultural merchants and retail sector.
The representatives addressing the meeting will include Ray Doyle, livestock and environmental services executive for ICOS, as well as Barry Larkin, Terence O'Shea, and Ollie Ryan.
Then from 4:20p.m to 5:10p.m the committee will hear from officials from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
These officials will include Bill Callanan, the department's chief inspector, as well as officials from the department's veterinary section.
Finally, from 5:10p.m, the committee will hear from representatives from both the Veterinary Council of Ireland (VCI), which regulates veterinary medicine in Ireland, and Veterinary Ireland, which represents the veterinary profession.
Speaking ahead of the meeting, the Oireachtas committee chairperson, Fianna Fáil Cork North-West TD Aindrias Moynihan, said: 'Our committee moves focus and welcomes representatives from the Merchants Alliance Ireland, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Veterinary Council of Ireland and Veterinary Ireland to examine the impacts of the Veterinary Medicinal Products, Medicated Feed and Fertilisers Regulation Act 2023.
'This act aims to update regulations on veterinary medicines, medicated feed, and fertilisers and looks to improve animal health, reduce antimicrobial resistance, and enhance regulatory oversight in the veterinary sector,' Moynihan said.
Some of the main issues that will be discussed at the committee this evening include:
The National Veterinary Prescription System (NVPS), a database to record veterinary prescriptions, allowing people responsible for animals to purchase medicines from authorised dispensers;
Responsible use of antimicrobials, including restrictions on prophylactic use and requirements for metaphylaxis prescriptions;
Licensing and enforcement, including new licensing requirements and enforcement measures to ensure compliance.
The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food has 14 members, nine TDs and five senators.
The membership of the committee is as follows:
TDs: Aindrias Moynihan (chairperson) – Cork North-West, Fianna Fáil; William Aird (deputy chairperson) – Laois, Fine Gael; Peter 'Chap' Cleere – Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fáil; Joe Cooney – Clare, Fine Gael; Michael Fitzmaurice – Roscommon-Galway, Independent Ireland; Danny Healy-Rae – Kerry, independent; Martin Kenny – Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Féin; Paul Lawless – Mayo, Aontú; Natasha Newsome Drennan – Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Féin.
Senators (all elected from Agricultural Panel): Victor Boyhan – independent; Paraic Brady – Fine Gael; Joanne Collins – Sinn Féin; Paul Daly – Fianna Fáil; Eileen Lynch – Fine Gael.
