The Department of Agriculture is considering monitoring farmers’ online vet medicine prescriptions to prevent illegal cross-border trade and inspect farmers.

Rob Doyle from the Department of Agriculture told an Oireachtas agriculture committee: “Inspections are based on risk and one of the tools we will have available to us is the veterinary prescribing system.

“Maybe part of our risk assessment will be that farmers who have no prescriptions for medicines would be identified by the system (web-based prescribing) and this would allow you identify them for a potential inspection,” he said.

Concerns were raised at the meeting about cross-border trade

The proposed changes are due to come into effect on 28 January and it will be mandatory for farmers to be issued with prescriptions from vets in order to purchase animal dosing products.

Concerns were raised at the meeting about cross-border trade and a so-called “black market” emerging where Republic of Ireland-based farmers could travel north of the border and purchase animal medicines without a prescription.

Controls

Sinn Féin spokesperson on agriculture Matt Carthy said he was not confident that sufficient controls have been put in place to avoid illegal cross-border trade.

“Some people along the border will fill half their oil tank with southern heating oil, while filling the remainder with oil from across the border at a substantially cheaper price. The same thing will happen here,” he said.

Independent TD Michael Fitzmaurice criticised the Department of Agriculture for its lack of engagement with the stakeholder committee.

While the Department of Agriculture has maintained that there has been continuous stakeholder engagement during the process, it emerged at the meeting that no stakeholder meeting has taken place since April 2021.

This whole episode has been a shambles

‘Shambles’

Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal, ILMA secretary general Ian Scott said: “This whole episode has been a shambles from day one and unfortunately it is farmers who will pay the price at the end of the day.

“There is no choice now but to look for a two-year extension to the proposed changes before all hell breaks loose in January 2022,” Scott said.