Debate contribution: Veterinary Medicines
Debate contribution by Mr Jonathan Buckley on .
- MLA
- Mr Jonathan Buckley
- Party at the time
- Democratic Unionist Party
- Date
- 21 May 2024
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Private Members' Business
- Heading
- Veterinary Medicines
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4491793
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I thank Tom Elliott for tabling the motion. Often, we reflect in this place on how pressing and important private Members' motions can be, although I do not believe anybody in the House today can escape the crucial nature of this motion and the time bomb that is about to explode. It is my earnest hope that the House can cast aside party political points and Remain and Leave arguments. The debate is about not only the security of the supply of animal medicines but, perhaps more importantly, sending a united message to London and Brussels that the issue must be addressed for the long term. Make no mistake: as we speak in the Chamber today, pharmaceutical companies are forward planning. If things are not resolved, we know for a fact that Northern Ireland could see a complete withdrawal of 50% of vital animal medicines. It is as serious as that, and, if not addressed, it will have devastating impacts on our agri-food industry, veterinary practices and animal welfare in Northern Ireland. The recent inquiry by the House of Lords Windsor Framework Sub-Committee into veterinary medicines and the Windsor framework has highlighted an existential crisis that could severely impact the supply of veterinary medicines to Northern Ireland due to the Northern Ireland protocol. About 85% of veterinary medicine products authorised in Northern Ireland are registered to a GB address. EU regulation 2019/6 on veterinary medicinal products, coupled with the additional requirement for products moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland to undergo batch testing, imposes an unnecessary cost and burden on manufacturers. As a result, we could, as I said, face the alarming prospect of losing access to more than 51% of our veterinary medicines. That potential reduction in the range of veterinary medicines — up to 35% of the current supply — poses significant risks. That will not only affect the availability of different pack sizes but jeopardise the importation of specific products such as vaccines. The economic consequences for our agri-food industry are severe, as the inability to sell agri-food products to GB due to reputational risk can damage consumer confidence. Moreover, the issue extends beyond economic ramifications. The absence of adequate access to veterinary medicines could lead to increased vulnerability to disease outbreaks, reduce capacity to treat and prevent illnesses and compromise animal welfare standards. That scenario threatens not only individual animals but public health at large. Our concern is not limited to farm animals. Show animals, such as horses, and companion animals — pets — are also likely to be at risk. The loss of vaccines against many equine diseases and of essential pain management products could be devastating. The British Veterinary Association (BVA) has warned that the loss of the sole vaccine for poultry against salmonella could lead to serious public health emergencies. I welcome the establishment of the veterinary medicine working group, and it would be churlish of the House not to recognise its composition and far-reaching expertise. The group will urgently advise the UK Government on proposals to resolve the issues for farmers, industry and animal owners. Our goal should be to find a pragmatic agreement with the EU that respects Northern Ireland's place in the UK internal market for veterinary medicines while maintaining our valuable trade routes. Let us collectively call on the European Union to engage productively with the UK Government. By doing so, we can ensure the continued supply of veterinary medicines, protect our animals' health and welfare and sustain the economic viability of our agri-food industry.
587 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.04 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- Assessed as legitimate policy scrutiny (0.95).
- No identity-based framing was identified (0.89).
- Subject area: Constitutional question, Brexit, the Windsor Framework and sovereignty.
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.04 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.02 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.02 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.02 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.03 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.95 | Yes |
| Overall judgement | 0.04 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 0.89 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.02 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.09 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Constitutional question, Brexit, the Windsor Framework and sovereignty | 0.90 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.10 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
| Irish language, Ulster-Scots and language policy | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 10:33 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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