DEAR EDITOR

While l have every respect for practitioner vets who serve us farmers 24/7, the behaviour of their profession with regard to the veterinary medicine regulations is shameful to say the least. Irish co-ops have a proven track record that they are more than capable of handling this matter.

On the vet shortage issue, one very typical example is the anti-mortem scandal with regard to abattoirs and meat factories. A vet calls out and looks into a pen of animals awaiting slaughter for a couple of minutes, that’s the anti-mortem test completed.

This nonsense is costing the taxpayers of this country millions and millions. No vet can come to any conclusion by glancing into a pen of animals for a few minutes.

In the UK and other countries, all anti-mortem and post-mortem inspections are performed by lay technicians called meat inspectors, at a fraction of the cost. If we did the same, it would make more vets available for important farm visits.