Three organisations representing the licensed agricultural merchants and retail sector in Ireland are forming an alliance.

Merchants Alliance Ireland is being formed by the Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (ICOS), Irish Licensed Merchants Association (ILMA) and Acorn Independent Merchants, which collectively represent over 550 outlets employing over 4,000 people across Ireland.

While each organisation and its members remain entirely independent, the Merchants Alliance will represent mutually shared interests on any areas of joint concern for the agricultural merchants and retail sector.

Merchants Alliance Ireland will initially focus on matters related to the dispensing of veterinary medicines and the accreditation of responsible persons.

The alliance plans to establish a registration body, on a statutory basis, to formally accredit responsible persons for the dispensing of veterinary medicines and treatments within the merchant and retail sector.

It is intended that the registration body will promote and ensure compliance with the provisions of the Veterinary Medicinal Products, Medicated Feed and Fertilisers Regulation Act 2023 and related regulations.

The authorisation of the body to be formed will be subject to the signing of a Statutory Instrument (SI) by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon.

The alliance said that the new body will design and provide training programmes for responsible persons to be accredited to national Quality & Qualifications Framework (QQI) Level 6 standard.

These people will also be required to undertake additional continuous professional development training in order to remain accredited on an ongoing basis.

A register will be compiled of the qualifications of accredited responsible persons, who will have to commit to a code of conduct.

Under the Act, merchants can sell licensed veterinary medicines where a prescription has been issued by a veterinary surgeon.

As part of the legislation and related regulations, a person responsible for the retail sale or supply of animal medicines and remedies must have adequate training.

This training includes the proper and safe handling and storage of animal remedies and providing advice and guidance for their administration to animals.

Merchants Alliance will establish the registration body to promote compliance with the provisions of the Act and to provide accreditation processes.

This will ensure that merchants will have appropriately trained members of staff available to advise and assist customers requiring animal medicines.

The alliance said that it is seeking an immediate meeting with Minister Martin Heydon, "as a matter of urgency".

"This will be to discuss the suggested June enactment date for changing all anti-parasitics to prescription only medicine (POM) product designation, as many alliance members will simply be put out of business mid-season as of this date," the alliance said.