Medicine for beloved pets and farm animals could vanish at end of 2025 thanks to sea border, says head of NI's leading vet body
Medicine for beloved pets and farm animals might not be available after the end of this year, thanks to Northern Ireland’s sea border.
That’s according to the new head of the province’s leading association for vets, Kirsten Dunbar, who says that with an extended post-Brexit grace period running out in 10 months, it’s now “increasingly urgent to resolve the long-standing question of future access to veterinary medicines in Northern Ireland”.
Dr Dunbar was speaking after being named the new president of the Northern Ireland branch of the British Veterinary Association (BVA) and the North of Ireland Veterinary Association (NIVA).
Stating that access to medicine remains in the balance, Dr Dunbar argued that the only solution is for the EU and UK to hammer out a deal before time runs out.
“The UK government's manifesto commitment to secure an EU-UK veterinary agreement presents the best opportunity to achieve a permanent resolution to the issue,” she said.
"We will therefore continue to work with both the government and the EU to ensure the negotiation is prioritised and the veterinary voice in Northern Ireland is considered.”
Her comments came after MP Robin Swann hosted a BVA briefing in parliament this week, pressing politicians to find a solution to the problem.
Dr Dunbar took the reins at a joint BVA NI and NIVA annual general meeting on Thursday night (27th), and said she wants her presidential theme to be “stronger together”.
Looking forward to her term, she says she wants to support vets on daily issues such as disease control, and lobby for new animal health and welfare legislation.
She also wants to “champion the role of the veterinary profession in the future farming policy and sustainable agri-food production”.
She added: “I’m looking forward to representing the veterinary profession and ensuring Northern Ireland’s views are reflected and represented in discussions on these pressing issues.”
BVA president Elizabeth Mullineaux welcomed her into the role, stating: “With so many complex issues on the table, all needing urgent resolutions, it’s vital we have a strong and resilient BVA NI branch team.
“I know Kirsten will lead this work with confidence and ensure that a veterinary voice is heard loud and clear in these negotiations.”
NIVA is the province’s original territorial division of the BVA and works closely with its Northern Ireland branch.