This is a subscriber-only article
A bill to amend the Veterinary Practice Act 2005-2012 with the objective of confining ownership of veterinary practices to registered veterinary practitioners is to be brought forward by Fianna Fáil TD Jackie Cahill.
The intention of the bill is to ensure that the registered veterinary practitioner in charge is an integral part of the ownership structure.
“It is also my intention to protect veterinary practices for the benefit of the Irish consumer. In recent years, we have seen how corporate ownership has impacted on the retail pharmacy industry where the local community pharmacist has been marginalised.
“This course of action has been necessitated by the recent encroachment of lay corporate entities into the ownership and operation of veterinary practices in Ireland,” Cahill said.
Regulated
Confining ownership of veterinary practices to registered practitioners also ensures that all aspects of the practice of veterinary medicine can be regulated by the Veterinary Council of Ireland, according to the Tipperary TD.
“The Veterinary Council of Ireland has conceded that it has no role in the regulation of lay owners, making these changes necessary to safeguard the public and animal health and welfare. Whilst the Veterinary Practice Act remains silent on ownership of veterinary practices, and lay corporates continue to acquire Irish veterinary practices, the resultant damage to the Irish industry will be a poorer and vastly more expensive service to the Irish consumer,” he said.
The resultant damage to the Irish industry will be a poorer and vastly more expensive service to the Irish consumer
What Fianna Fáil is proposing is that a veterinary practice can only be owned in the Republic of Ireland by registered veterinary practitioners, with the bill amending the legislation to reflect this, Cahill said.
“The objective is to ensure we have an efficient, affordable and regulated veterinary service in this country that fulfils the needs of the Irish consumer and is protective of animal health and welfare and public health.”
SHARING OPTIONS: