The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine has written to Minister Charlie McConalogue on the supply and availability of mastitis treatment products.

The question was broached by senator and committee member Tim Lombard, who requested that the committee look for an update from the minister on when it can be expected that these products will licenced.

Lombard highlighted that some products aren’t expected to be licenced until May or even June – well after when the demand for them is likely to be highest.

Below is a list of products that Lombard cited to the committee, including the expected licencing timeline for each (if not already licenced), according to Teagasc:

Data source: Tim Lombard/Teagasc mastitas

Even for those products that are currently available, Lombard noted that some are hard to come by due to the tight supplies caused by the lack of currently licenced products.

He noted Synulox in particular, saying that in three veterinary practices local to him, the product “could not be got”.

In his request for an update from the minister, Lombard said: “The listed, and previously licensed, products are all vital due to the differing strains/cultures of mastitis that require treatment by a specific product.

There is currently a very limited supply of these products and uncertainty about future provisions due to the licencing delays.

“This is a matter of some urgency – mastitis is predominantly prevalent in the spring – and, as you can see from the attached list, the products necessary for treatment are not only in short supply but are also not expected – if at all – until April or May at the earliest and June at the latest,” the senator highlighted.