Denis Naughten
Question:97 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the action his Department is taking to address antibiotic resistance in pathogenic micro-organisms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12463/03]
Written Answers. - Antibiotic Resistance.
It is recognised that efforts to combat the problem of antibiotic resistance must be approached on a co-ordinated basis at both international and national levels. In this regard, my Department has been and continues to be involved in a number of fora engaged in trying to quantify the extent of the problem, the relative contribution of use of antibiotics in human and animal populations to its development and in designing strategies to address the problem based on current scientific knowledge.
For example, in terms of advancing the state of knowledge about the problem, my Department is engaged with other agencies, such as FSAI and the universities, in a number of specific projects designed to gather detailed data. The projects form part of an EU-wide co-ordinated approach to designing strategies to combat the problem.
Also, the approach adopted by my Department for a number of years reflects the recommendations of the EU scientific steering committee based on the current state of scientific knowledge. Under this approach, for example, new antibiotic veterinary medicines are evaluated by the Irish Medicines Board to determine their potential contribution to antibiotic resistance prior to approval.
In addition, under the Animal Remedies Act 1996, very tight rules govern prescribing of antibiotics by veterinary surgeons. I have also accepted a recommendation from the Irish Medicines Board that intramammary antibiotics should be brought under prescription control. In addition, my Department carries out extensive residue monitoring with a view to ensuring that the stipulated withdrawal periods for antibiotic veterinary medicines are observed.
My Department will continue to be actively engaged in strategies to quantify and address the antibiotic resistance in light of emerging scientific knowledge.