Northern Ireland Protocol sees province at risk of losing 30% of animal medicines - 'significant concern due to potential effect on animal and human health'
The fact that Northern Ireland stands to lose the supply of 30% of veterinary medicines by December 2025 is creating "significant uncertainty and concern due to the potential effect on animal and human health and welfare”.
The North of Ireland Veterinary Association (NIVA), which issued the warning, previously told the News Letter that the issue has serious implications for Northern Ireland's public health, regional food supplies, animal welfare – including that of pets – and trade.
The ongoing issues, an outworking of the EU requiring NI to remain in the EU Customs Union after Brexit (under the Northern Ireland Protocol), has been an ongoing issue of serious concern to vets and farmers for years.
In November 2022 NIVA said every batch of freshly manufactured veterinary medicine that is bound for NI will have to be specially tested to confirm it meets EU requirements.
Dr Esther Skelly Smith, who was then Junior Vice President of NIVA, said that the grace period on Protocol restrictions in bringing veterinary pharmaceuticals into NI was due to run out at the end of December 2022, putting the supply of 51% of veterinary medicines at risk – a figure which has now declined to 30%.
"The mood is , we're very concerned," she told the News Letter in 2022.
"This will affect all sectors – farm, equine and pets – and will have significant implications on animal health and welfare, public health, trade and the agricultural economy. Medicines affected include anaesthetics and vaccines, including salmonella vaccine for poultry, the loss of which poses a significant public health issue. But it's not just going to affect farming, it will affect pets as well and the equine industry."
Since then the EU has granted some grace periods, but NIVA says no permenant solutions have been found.
"Continued access to veterinary medicines in Northern Ireland after December 2025 is an ongoing issue that is creating significant uncertainty and concern within the agricultural and veterinary communities due to the potential effect on animal and human health and welfare," it said in a statement this week
"After December 2025, it is estimated that the supply of up to 30% of veterinary medicines will be affected, impacting all veterinary sectors in NI. A broadly supported motion has been passed in the Stormont Assembly acknowledging the deep concern around obtaining veterinary medicines after 2025 and NIVA has welcomed the efforts that are being made by the DAERA Minister to find a solution.
"Honorary Secretary Mark Little has played a key role in raising NIVA’s concerns on this issue since it came to light, and NIVA continues to emphasise the critical need to maintain the improving trends in antimicrobial usage, particularly through adequate access to antibiotics, anthelmintics and vaccines.
"NIVA has welcomed the UK government’s commitment to re-establishing the Veterinary Medicines Working Group and is encouraging the reconvening of the group at the earliest
opportunity, with a view to positive and constructive engagement with the EU Commission."A Northern Ireland Office spokeswoman said they were working to resolve the issue once and for all.
"We continue to pursue a permanent solution to maintaining access to veterinary medicines in Northern Ireland beyond 2025," she told the News Letter.
"In doing this we engage extensively with industry and are committed to reestablishing the Veterinary Medicines Working Group."