3 Mr. Dukes asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development his views on the cost and animal welfare implications of proposals in relation to veterinary medical products made by the Irish Medicines Board; his further views on the proposals being considered by the European Union Commission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30277/01]
This is essentially a public health issue and our approach to it must be governed by an acceptance of that principle while ensuring the availability of veterinary medicines.
The Irish Medicines Board has recommended that intramammary antibiotic medicines should be brought under veterinary prescription control in light of current concerns about the development of antibiotic resistance in humans and animals. Pronouncements by major international bodies such as WHO on this issue include a specific recommendation that all antimicrobials used for disease control in food animals should be available only on prescription. Similarly, it is the stated EU policy that all antimicrobials should only be available on veterinary prescription. With one other exception, Ireland is the only member state where intramammary antibiotics are currently not subject to prescription control. In terms of cost and animal welfare concerns, it should be noted that the Irish Medicines Board has recognised the difficulties of applying the current prescription rules in Irish legislation to intramammaries. Accordingly, my Department is now engaged in considering what changes to existing legislation will be necessary in order to have an effective and workable prescription regime applying to intramammaries and has sought the views and suggestions of stakeholders on the optimum arrangements which might apply. Some stakeholders have already responded and I expect this process to be completed shortly. In formulating its proposals, the Department will not alone have regard to the views expressed by stakeholders, but will also have due regard to arrangements in operation in other member states of the EU where prescription regimes currently apply to intramammaries.
Turning to the second element of the question, I take it the Deputy is referring to proposals from the European Commission that all medicines for food producing animals should be subject to prescription control. This proposal, which is one part of a package of proposals from the Commission for reform of medicines legislation, has not yet been discussed in detail. In the absence of important detail, such as the principles which would govern prescribing activity and supply of medicines by veterinarians, the dispensing of prescriptions and also the specific range of products which would come within the scope of the prescription requirement, it would not be appropriate for me to take an absolute position on the Commission's proposals.
Is the Minister aware that the Irish Medicines Board, when asked last year if it could identify any human health problem or any animal health problem that would justify the kind of proposals it is making, replied "No"? Is the Minister aware that the only reason given by the Irish Medicines Board last year for what it was proposing was that it would be more convenient if everything were treated the same way? Is the Minister further aware that the other proposals to replace the intramammary route, now favoured by Irish farmers, involve intramuscular treatment which gives rise to greater concentrations of residues in the product? Does the Minister agree, therefore, that the standards we apply here, which have shown their benefit in terms of all forms of residue testing, somatic cell counts and so on, are perfectly adequate? If there is a need for harmonisation at European level, it should be on the basis of the system that we now have in operation in Ireland.
I agree with the Deputy's comments. The difficulty is that the Irish Medicines Board has made this recommendation and it could insist that intramammaries be put on prescription only. I consider this proposal by the Irish Medicines Board unworkable. It would involve a requirement for a veterinary surgeon to visit a farm and go into the milking parlour to ensure that a simple antibiotic, such as a mastitis control tube, was used. That is an absolute nonsense and I want to have a sensible arrangement which will address the concerns of – whatever about the Irish Medicines Board – a number of medical bodies and the World Health Organisation who have been alarmed at the extent of antibiotic resistance, especially among the human population. Some cognisance needs to be taken of that. I will ensure that whatever changes are brought about will be workable and will not interfere with the normal farming practice and, in particular, that the co-op structure and its branches will continue to operate.
Is the Minister aware that the general perception among farmers and the trade is that the Minister has already sold out in this matter by not objecting to the Irish Medicines Board's proposal last year? Is he aware that it would not be enough to have a vet at the end of a phone but that the owner of any decent sized herd would need to have a vet in the milking parlour? Is he aware that the IMB, the European Commission, the World Health Organisation and all other organisations which have made these proposals have been completely unable to point to any specific risk to human or animal health under the system we have in operation? If that is the case, is it not nonsensical to proceed with any of these proposals?
As I said, I believe the proposals are unworkable and, as far as I am concerned, they will not be allowed to come into effect. I want a system in which normal farming activity continues and the normal distribution of the products in question will continue.
It is about time the Minister said that.
The National Disease Surveillance Centre has stated that the problem of antimicrobial resistance has been identified by many countries as a major threat to public health. The WHO has recognised it as a cause of prolonged morbidity, increased fatality and lengthening of the duration of epidemics.
Much of the problem arises from the administration of human medicines.
Deputy Dukes has been around long enough to recall when schoolchildren suffered severe problems because of the level of antibiotic residues in milk distributed to them. He should also know there was a serious problem in the production of fermented products due to the level of antibiotics in milk. However, we sorted that out.
We must move on to Question No. 4.
The problem was resolved without recourse to scare tactics.
