BVA Urges DARD To Make More Use Of Private Veterinary Practices For Disease Control
12 years ago
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Posted
11th November, 2011 14h18
Speaking at the British Veterinary Association (BVA) North of Ireland Dinner tonight (Thursday) President Carl Padgett said that there is an economic case for Northern Ireland’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) to make vets an integral part of Northern Ireland’s agri-food strategy.
The Chief Veterinary Officer Bert Houston delivered a response from the Minister of State, Michelle O’Neill, on behalf of the guests, which included parliamentarians, key representatives of the agri-food industry and animal health and welfare organisations, senior members of the veterinary profession, and members of the media.
On the role of vets in Northern Ireland’s agri-food strategy, Carl Padgett said:
“Here in Northern Ireland there is a great network of rural and urban practices available to meet the needs of animal keepers and the Executive but my message to DARD is ‘use them or lose them’.
“Vets in practice have the willingness and, most importantly, the expertise to deliver on TB, brucellosis and a whole host of other production animal diseases and they must be an integral part of that strategy.”
On endemic disease, he said:
“As brucellosis eradication comes within our reach I know all of our colleagues from across the sector are asking ‘what next?’
“A healthy future for our food producing animals means tackling endemic disease head on.
“We want to see clear strategies for BVD, Johne’s disease, IBR, and other production diseases.
“There is appetite from industry and there is a clear economic case for action. Yes, it will require investment and ultimately it may require legislation, but what it really requires is all of us working together to come up with the best mechanism for delivery.
“The Food Strategy Board, announced by DARD and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment in October, may provide us with that mechanism.”
On the Welfare of Animals Act, he said:
“The BVA is pleased to see DARD racing out of the starting blocks with consultations on a number of initiatives under the Act. We strongly welcome proposals to ban the hot branding of equids, and we are delighted to see an early consultation on proposals to tighten up the regulation of dog breeding establishments to crack down on the hideous puppy farm trade.”
Finally, he raised the unique financial situation of veterinary students from Northern Ireland. He said:
“The BVA and NIVA have raised concerns directly with the Agriculture and Education Ministers and other MLAs over the unique and difficult financial situation faced by veterinary students on a 5- or 6-year course with annual fees of £9000 and little or no opportunity to take paid employment in the holidays, due to the demands of compulsory extra mural studies (EMS).
“With no veterinary schools in Northern Ireland, and only a limited number of places in Dublin, prospective veterinary students are immediately at a disadvantage compared to students studying other courses at home who will have their tuition fees subsidised by the Executive.
“In the future we could see UK veterinary graduates returning to Northern Ireland saddled with up to £54,000 in tuition fee debt and many thousands more in living cost debt.
“Our fear is that, understandably, those graduates will be attracted to small animal practice over the less lucrative areas of large animal work and research.
“They may seem unconnected but the future ability of Northern Ireland to deliver safe and healthy food may well be affected by the affordability of a veterinary degree. Some imaginative thinking is now required to find the right solution.”
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