A total of 321 new vets and 126 veterinary nurses were registered to the Veterinary Council of Ireland (VCI) in 2023.
The VCI, the statutory body responsible for the regulation and management of the practise of veterinary medicine and veterinary nursing in the state, believes the new vets and nurses will benefit animal health and welfare in Ireland.
New vet registration is up 6% when compared to 2022, and the VCI have stated that their figures are “growing year on year…at a time when demand for vets and veterinary nurses is significant and continually increasing”.
The total number of vets and veterinary nurses on the veterinary council register currently stands at 3,522 and 1,263 respectively, which is an all-time high.
The counties which accounted for the most new vets in 2023 were:
- Cork – 21;
- Dublin – 20
- Kildare – 16;
- Galway – 11;
- Donegal – 10;
- Tipperary – 10;
- Wexford – 8;
- Mayo – 6;
- Kerry – 6;
- Cavan – 5;
- Clare – 5;
- Derry – 2;
- Down – 2;
- Tyrone – 2;
- Antrim – 1.
Of the 321 newly registered vets in 2023, 85 were awarded their degree from University College Dublin (UCD).
The remaining graduates came from a number of schools of veterinary medicine abroad, with the most popular being Warsaw Agricultural University (29 newly registered) and Budapest University of Veterinary Science (18 vets).
The VCI has established a workforce review working group which will analyse the register data and publish a report containing recommendations on the factors impacting recruitment and retention of vets and veterinary nurses on the register.
Niamh Muldoon, chief executive of the VCI said: “The Veterinary Council believe the influx of talent in the veterinary sector in 2023 will help to meet growing demand for veterinary services across Ireland.
“We are pleased to welcome all the vets and vet nurses who joined our register in 2023.
“We recognise that veterinary recruitment and retention is a challenge in many areas across the country, in Ireland and abroad.”
Muldoon said the new workforce review working group will “examine these challenges closely” and “develop recommendations to address these challenges”.
“The government and Higher Education Authority (HEA) are also considering proposals for additional capacity in veterinary places in third level institutions,” she added.
“In the meantime, we are continuing to work with all of our registrants and our stakeholders in the interest of the public and of animal health and welfare,” Muldoon concluded.