Young Fine Gael (YFG) has warned that the National Veterinary Prescription System (NVPS), due to cover antiparasitic products from December 2025, risks becoming “another ACRES-style fiasco” unless major reforms are introduced.
While the recent extension is welcome, YFG says the current NVPS model is riddled with unnecessary bureaucracy, system flaws, and risks to animal welfare. The Department of Agriculture must use this extra time to build a system that works for farmers, vets, and rural businesses.
Key changes YFG is demanding:
- Link prescriptions directly to herds – Prescriptions should be tied to herd numbers, allowing farmers to collect treatments as needed without repetitive data entry or delays.
- 12-month herd health & dosing plans – Farmers and vets should be able to agree annual herd health plans to reduce constant micro-prescribing while keeping veterinary oversight.
- Emergency same-day access – NVPS must allow rapid prescriptions in urgent cases such as scour outbreaks, where delays could result in serious animal losses and welfare issues.
YFG Director of Agriculture & Rural Affairs Dean Kenny said: “Farmers are willing to comply with EU rules, but they need a system that works in practice, not just on paper. If NVPS is handled like ACRES, it will collapse under bureaucracy. The Department must act now to fix these flaws before rollout.”
YFG is calling on the Minister for Agriculture to immediately engage with farmers, vets, and co-ops to deliver a system that protects animal health, maintains veterinary oversight, and avoids repeating the mistakes of ACRES.
ENDS