The Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (ICOS) has said that agricultural co-operatives are “aggrieved” that new vet medicine rules have been signed into law without amendment.
Earlier today, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue signed the Veterinary Medicinal Products Regulations 2024 into law.
The regulations provide for tighter controls around the “prudent use” of antiparasitic medications. This includes the upregulation of all antiparasitics to prescription-only medicine (POM) status.
ICOS claimed that the minister’s failure to amend the regulations “hands the veterinary profession a near-monopoly on the sale of products”.
The group said that the minister “ignored the legitimate concerns” of the co-ops in his move to sign the statutory instrument implementing the regulations, and failed to adjust the regulations to ensure fair and reasonable market competition.
“We express our deep frustration and disappointment with the minister. His decision will directly damage licenced merchants across Ireland, severely inhibiting their businesses, disadvantaging farmers and undermining a key pillar of rural commerce,” ICOS said.
“To date, these medicines may be sold by a veterinary practitioner, pharmacist, or for certain specific products, by a responsible person from a licenced retailer, thereby ensuring a balanced supply chain and a level of open market competition,” it added.
“Licenced merchants will now be forced to operate within a high-cost supply route for a market that is predicted to shrink over the next decade, while being completely frozen out of supplying essential products to farmers.
“This doesn’t just undermine our industry, it directly affects the livelihoods of livestock farmers, who will bear the brunt of reduced competition, reduced accessibility to veterinary products and higher prices,” the society said.
According to ICOS, it had sought an approach that would see farmers retain access to vet medicine through multiple channels.
“It is incomprehensible that the minister has cited his reluctance to disrupt current supply routes as the basis for his decision, while simultaneously disrupting the very foundation of licenced merchants’ operations,” the group said.
“His approach has favoured a regulatory structure that ensures over 70% of veterinary medicinal products remain directly controlled by veterinary channels, with this number now set to increase further under the new rules.”
“The lack of competition is not in the best interests of farmers, who rely on affordable and convenient access to vital products,” ICOS added.
The society claimed that the minister’s approach will potentially lead to the “closure of merchant stores across the country”.
“This decision will have far-reaching consequences, and it’s true cost will only become apparent in the years to come,” ICOS said.